Nothing I've Become
by TheRealRenee
Summary: // Chapter 50 now up \\ A series of mysterious occurrences, all stemming from a local neighborhood diner. AU. Lita, Edge, Jericho, Christian, Dawn Marie, Hardyz, Stephanie, Trish, Torrie, Stacy
1. Default Chapter

______________________________________________________ 

The young woman felt her skin crawl as she listened to the eerie account on the small portable radio. 

A young man, one of the Stop's regular diners, had been attacked at knifepoint in a nearby alley the previous night. 

"My God!" exclaimed her friend and fellow Stop waitress Trish Stratus. "I've walked down that way thousands of times - you have, too, haven't you, Lita?" 

The redheaded woman shifted her hazel eyes nervously to meet the other woman's warm brown ones. "Y-yes..." 

"That could have been one of us...poor guy," Trish said, shaking her blonde head sadly. She reached back to adjust the pink waitress uniform she was wearing. 

The young man, whose name was Christian, had been eating a late dinner at the diner last night and had been stationed at one of Trish's tables. He'd stuck around long enough after his meal to yak with Trish, Lita and especially Dawn Marie - another waitress who typically started the later shift - nursing a cup of coffee before leaving for the night. That had been a little after twelve-thirty in the morning. 

Lita shuddered as she replayed in her head the tone of the news reporter on the radio. 

_"The man is in stable condition but remains under observation at Lincoln Memorial Hospital..."_

Although Christian hadn't been stabbed, he _had _been clubbed over the head with some sort of blunt object. As a result, he was feared to have a concussion at best, and suffered some brain damage at worst. 

The redhead shook herself out of the unpleasant thoughts and consulted her watch - ten of midnight. Dawn Marie had just stepped in, and it was coming to the end of her shift, so she would leave as soon as the witching hour struck. And thank God for that, as she was exhausted. Her feet were killing her. Considering the fact that she stood, on average, about twelve hours per day, they were actually in halfway decent condition. 

After the ten minutes were up, Lita entered the small office on the other side of the establishment with the intention of clocking out. She actually had her timecard in hand when a voice stopped her in her tracks. 

"Lita - whoa!" 

The redhead looked up jerkily, startled to see her boss, Stephanie McMahon. The woman rarely stayed past ten. Yet, here she was, two hours later... 

"You have to work a double shift tonight," the brunette announced. "Torrie called in sick again..." 

"What?" Her eyes widened in surprised displeasure. Just great... This was exactly what she needed - Torrie Wilson had been calling in sick quite often these days, and Lita wouldn't be surprised if the blonde was really working another job on the days when she did. Besides, according to the rumor mill - better known as Dawn Marie - this was indeed the case, complete with Torrie baring all at a strip joint halfway across town. 

"I'm sorry, Lita - but we're really short-staffed right now," Stephanie said. "I'll see to it that Torrie either comes to work or that'll be it for her..." 

Lita arched a brow, wondering why the brunette would bother. She'd already given the blonde woman chance after chance to shape up. 

"Well..." the redhead began, feeling like a heel for what she was about to ask. "What about Trish? Can't _she _work the double shift?" 

"No - she's got class tomorrow morning. I'm sorry, Lita. I'll have to hire someone - even if it's just a temp...But until then..." She held her hands out in an 'I give up' gesture and shrugged. 

The redheaded woman ran a hand through her long locks and sighed dejectedly. 

"Okay...so much for my fantasy of hitting the sheets early tonight..." 

Stephanie offered her a weak, sad smile.   
  


Part 2 

Back 


	2. Chapter 2

______________________________________________________ 

Lita blinked furiously as she waited for her body to awaken. 

Bone-weary and dead tired, she'd taken a Vivarin to keep herself awake during the rest of her tour of duty for the night. Trish always chastised her about taking such things, as the little blonde didn't believe in taking any substances that weren't 'natural.' And that was an understatement - the woman didn't even drink coffee, for crying out loud. How ironic that she worked in a diner - the number one selling item here _was _coffee. 

"You look ready to fall asleep on your feet," Dawn Marie said as she passed by. The pretty brunette's face looked concerned as she eyed her friend. "Maybe you should have some coffee..." 

Lita shook her head. "Already took one of these." She reached into the right pocket of her waitress uniform and showed the other woman the bottle of Vivarin. 

"I haven't seen that stuff in years..." Dawn remarked. "I hope it's safe." 

"I think it is, but Trish would tell you otherwise." 

The two women walked into the kitchen, where the chef was preparing two small bowls of soup for a young couple sitting at one of Dawn Marie's tables. 

"Here you go," he said cheerfully, and the brunette grabbed hold of the saucers upon which he'd placed the bowls of chicken noodle. 

"Thanks, Chris..." 

The moment Dawn left the kitchen, Chris Jericho eyed Lita with concern. 

"No offense, Red - but you don't look so good..." 

"Thanks, Chris...Really appreciate it..." 

"I only meant you're obviously exhausted. Stephanie should've let you go home the minute your shift ended," the blond man elaborated. 

"Oh...yeah, too bad Torrie is such a bitch," the redhead muttered as she ran a hand over her face sleepily and wearily. 

"You mean, too bad she's such a _whore_," Jericho said. "Don't candy-coat it. She's been stiffing us for weeks now..." 

Lita rolled her eyes. 

"Listen, Red...I said this to Trish before she left - and to Dawn a few minutes ago - but after what happened to that guy last night, don't walk home using that alleyway, huh?" 

The young woman met her friend's clear blue eyes and saw all the concern shining within. 

"Oh, come on, Chris...Nothing like that ever happened until last night, and the report said Christian thought it might have been someone he _knew _that attacked him..." 

"Well...even so..." 

Lita forced a smile she hardly felt for the blond man's benefit. "I'll be _fine_..." 

He didn't look convinced. If anything, the expression on his face said he trusted her to obey his advice about as far as he could throw her. 

As Chris continued to stare at her with one eyebrow arched, the redhead sighed. "Okay, fine - you win. I won't use the alleyway. Happy?" 

"Thrilled..." Jericho grinned and winked at her as evidence supporting that. 

Lita refrained from rolling her eyes and sticking out her tongue, but she smirked, not bothering to hide it from him. Then, Dawn Marie shoved her way back into the kitchen via one of the double swinging doors. Her face was white as a sheet, and to the redhead, she looked absolutely terrified. 

"What's the matter, Dawnie?" the exhausted woman asked, her weariness momentarily abated and giving way for concern. 

"N-nothing..." the brunette said, and she raised a hand to her face, forcing a very obvious smile as though to cover up. 

Lita and Chris both eyed the woman skeptically. While Dawn Marie was usually quite skilled at concealing her true emotions in certain situations, now was definitely an exception. 

"We know you too well..." Jericho began. "So why not cut the act and tell us why you look like you've just seen the dead rise?" 

"Look..." Dawn snapped, her brown eyes angry as they fixed on the blond man. "I _said _nothing was wrong...So get off my ass, Chris..." she hissed in a loud whisper. 

Lita nearly winced, but she was shocked, as her brunette friend never really displayed a temper. One thing was certain - something was definitely wrong, and whatever it was, Dawn Marie obviously didn't want to talk about it. 

Before any of them could speak again, the double swinging doors were pushed open and Stephanie stuck her head into the kitchen. 

"Lita? There's someone at one of your tables waiting for service..." 

"Oh...Sorry," the redhead stammered, and she ducked out of the room after giving her two friends a sheepish look. 

Chris couldn't help but note the still alarmed expression on Dawn Marie's face as she watched Lita exit the kitchen.   
  


Part 3 

Back 


	3. Chapter 3

______________________________________________________ 

Lita headed toward the table at which the diner awaited, yawning as she approached. The person sitting there had long blond hair, and despite her exhaustion, she was easily able to discern that it was a man. There was no mistaking those broad shoulders. 

"Hello...My name is Lita, and I'll be your wait-" She stopped in mid-sentence as she got a good look at the man. 

Bright green eyes looked up at her almost curiously, his face lightly dusted with a coating of stubble. He was so handsome that Lita couldn't quite catch her breath. She noticed how immediately her body was responding to the sight of him. On top of the obvious exterior, the man seemed to have a smoldering, mysterious aura about him. She found it strange she would think such a thing, seeing as she didn't know him, and he hadn't even _spoken _to her yet. Also, despite the fact that he was blond, there seemed to be an odd, almost mystical darkness about him. Or maybe it was just his dark gray shirt and the black trenchcoat he was wearing... 

The exceptionally handsome man ran a hand through his long hair, and Lita felt ripples shivering down her back at the gesture. 

"I'll have a cup of coffee, plenty of cream and sugar..." 

God, his voice was so thoroughly masculine... So sensual. The redhead feared she might never find her own voice and was certain this man probably thought she was a weirdo by now. 

Surprising herself, she rediscovered her voice. "Coffee, plenty of cream and sugar," she repeated his words as she scribbled it down in her little notepad. "Anything else?" 

"Um...yeah," he said as he glanced the menu over quickly once more. "I'll take a BLT with that..." 

Lita wrote that down as well. "A late nighter, huh?" 

The blond man folded his hands on the table before him after handing her the menu. "Yeah, you can say that..." He examined her face intently, his expression neutral for the most part. Nonetheless, Lita felt her knees start to weaken. Suddenly, she no longer felt exhausted. She couldn't believe how strong an effect this man was having on her. 

"I haven't seen you in here before..." Wow, she'd actually thought of something else to say to him! 

"No, I haven't been here before..." he replied. "I'm from Toronto - I was living there for awhile but decided recently to come back here to Florida..." 

Lita cocked her head in interest. She hadn't really caught a Canadian accent from him, but then, he hadn't spoken words like 'out' or 'about.' 

"You're from Toronto?" 

"Yeah," he said. "I was born there...my mom and family still live there." He eyed her silently for a beat. "You said your name is Lita?" 

"Yeah...what's yours?" she asked. 

"Edge..." 

"Excuse me?" 

"Oh...sorry...Well, my name is really Adam, but my nickname is Edge - it's what pretty much everyone calls me," the handsome blond explained. He put his hand out to shake hers. 

Nearly dumbfounded, Lita put her hand in his. "Nice to meet you - Edge..." She smiled crookedly. God, there was just _something _about this man... 

The blond man seemed to hold onto her hand just a tad long, and Lita suddenly came back to her senses, shaking her head as though to rid herself of the cobwebs. 

"Err...I'd better..." She pulled her hand free and gestured toward the kitchen. "...go see about your order..." Then, before Edge could say anything more, she turned and hurried to the kitchen. She felt her face burning bright red with embarrassment, and she felt so awkward. What must the man think of her? 

"Hey, you look a little flushed..." Chris said as she pushed her way through the double swining doors. 

Lita ignored her friend's comment. "I need a BLT," she said. She shifted her gaze to Dawn Marie, who was still present back there. Surprisingly, the brunette was at the sink, washing some dishes. That was not part of her job. 

"What are you doing?" 

"I think that's pretty obvious..." 

"You know what I mean," the redhead said, nudging her friend on the arm. "Why are you doing that?" 

Dawn Marie shut off the water, then grabbed a dish towel off the counter beside her. As she turned toward Lita, the redhead realized she was still shaking a bit. 

"Dawn? What's the _matter_?" 

"I...I can't go back out there..." the brunette whispered. "Not _now_, anyway." 

"You _have _to," Lita said, puzzled. What was going on? "While I was out there, a couple of diners stepped in - they're at a table in your station." 

Dawn Marie closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Damn...then I guess I have no choice unless I want to be out of a job - or on Stephanie's shit list along with Torrie..." She straightened her shoulders, then, without another word, left the kitchen. 

Lita turned to exchange glances with Chris. The blond man's face wore a look of equal confusion and concern.   
  


Part 4 

Back 


	4. Chapter 4

______________________________________________________ 

{How can you see into my eyes   
Like open doors   
Leading you down into my core   
Where I've become so numb without a soul   
My spirit sleeping somewhere cold   
Until you find it here and lead it back home...} 

Lita groaned as she pulled her exhausted body along the street. 

It was close to four in the morning, and her double-shift had finally come to an end. Fortunately, she wasn't expected at work tomorrow - which was actually later _today _- until six in the evening. All she wanted to do was get home, collapse onto her bed and sleep like a rock for... Oh, ten solid hours. 

Because she lived walking distance from her job, she traveled by foot. 

The redhead had trouble keeping her eyes open as she trudged up the small hill ahead, hefting her purse higher on her shoulder. She was tired enough to literally fall asleep on her feet and mentally cursed Torrie Wilson for not showing up for work yet again. 

Damn it... Lita glanced with half-slitted eyes several feet away at the very alleyway Chris had told her to avoid. It was a usual shortcut she often used, but after that guy Christian had been attacked, she should steer clear of it. Intellectually, she acknowledged this, but she was too exhausted to care at the moment. It would get her home more quickly. 

She walked briskly in the direction of the alleyway, her steps actually slowing a bit as she entered it. Little did Lita know, that was a big mistake... 

* 

The man hid out in the darkness of the shadows, making sure to keep out of sight. 

He watched the approaching woman like a hawk, his blood boiling with a violent anger as he thought about what he had planned to do. 

She was moving so slowly. Too slowly, considering the ungodly hour. He couldn't help but wonder why she'd chosen to take this route - this alleyway - when he _knew _she must have heard what had happened to the man last night... The man _he'd _brutally attacked... 

He held his breath as she came still closer to where he stood, pressed against a structure that must have been a garage. God, she was so completely oblivious. He wondered how anyone could walk down the street, and not look behind them - particularly in the dark and at such an hour. 

The woman was a mere silhouette herself as she suddenly passed directly by him. He sprang out in a flash, surprisingly silent in his movements, and in seconds he was upon her... 

She opened her mouth, probably to scream, her shock clearly evident in the way her body stiffened. One of his strong arms gripped her tightly around the waist, the other hand coming up to clamp over her mouth so as to stifle any screaming she might try to do. He couldn't afford her making enough noise to startle and rouse the people sleeping in their homes, that was for sure... 

Damn it... She was struggling mightily in his grasp. He hadn't expected _this _much of a fight. She'd never been much of one to resist this much... And damned if he wasn't going to have any choice but to remove his hand from over her mouth. Not only was she struggling like mad to free herself, she was even trying to _bite _him! 

Reluctantly, he removed his hand, quickly slipping that arm around her waist. 

"You may as well give up..." he whispered as he moved his face closer to hers. 

"Like _hell_!" she shouted. Then, before he could even react, the woman, who only moments before had clearly been exhausted, kicked him hard in the shin. 

"Shit!" He reacted reflexively, his hold on her loosened somewhat so that she was able to move away just a bit. But he still had the presence in mind to grab her by the arm. 

Nonetheless, the woman reached into her purse for something, and when she came up with a small, hand-held object, his heart nearly stopped. 

"Oh, God!" she exclaimed, her eyes widening in the dimness of the pre-dawn. What little light there was had helped her to better see his face. 

Edge stared in shock down into Lita's equally surprised face, her eyes - which he'd rememebered from meeting her at the diner earlier that night were a beautiful shade of hazel - shining with fear. 

"Oh, my God...You..._you_?" The redhead seemed to shake slightly as he still held onto her left wrist with his right hand. "_You're _the one...?" 

The tall blond man nearly flinched at the question. Obviously, she was referring to the attack on the young man, Christian. Yes, he'd attacked the other man, but this woman would never understand his motives behind that. Besides, he'd never know where or how to begin explaining. And anyway, his personal matters were none of her business or concern. 

Instead of releasing her, however, Edge tried to appeal to her. 

"Lita, I'm...God, I'm so sorry..." 

"You're _sorry_?!" she cried. "What the hell are you doing? Get your hands off me!" She jerked her arm free from his loosened grip. 

"Please...don't be afraid...I-" 

"'Don't be afraid'?" she parrotted as she took a step back, her face now looking angrily as well as confused and shocked - and perhaps a little scared as well. "What were you going to do? Mug me? Oh, wait - you were probably _also _going to rape me - since I _am _a woman..." 

The Canadian held his hand up in a placating gesture. 

"No...I would never do that...I thought..." He shut up abruptly as she continued to stare at him, speechless for the moment. 

"_What _did you think?" she demanded, taking yet another step away from him, and he didn't miss how she instinctively hitched the strap of her bag higher up on her shoulder. She was also clutching it tightly, which she hadn't been doing before he'd attacked her. God, he felt like crap. 

"I thought you were someone else..." Edge admitted, and he wondered why in hell he was explaining his actions to her. For some reason, he found it important that she believe him, _trust _him. 

"Oh, so if I was someone else, you would have done it then?" 

"No...You...you don't understand," he said, a feeling of distinct hopelessness coming over him. He ran a hand through his mass of long golden-blond hair, then after a beat, "I'm really sorry..." With that, he turned and stalked off, running into the night and away from her. 

The redhead stood rooted to her spot as she clutched her purse against herself, her breathing still fast and heavy as she watched him go.   
  
  
  


Part 5 

Back 


	5. Chapter 5

Wake me up inside   
Wake me up inside   
Call my name and save me from the dark   
Bid my blood to run   
Before I come undone   
Save me from the nothing I've become... 

Lita stirred restlessly in her bed, the blanket tangling in her legs and feet. 

She turned over onto her back, pulling the blanket up over her head. Although she'd slept about seven hours, it had not been a restful sleep - on the contrary, it had been quite a fitful one. She'd been plagued by memories and dreams of what had happened during the wee hours of the morning - and by what had happened the night previous. 

It was no use. She tossed the blanket aside, wincing as the lightness of the room blinded her somewhat. Her bedroom was never bright in the early mornings, as it wasn't on the eastern portion of her apartment. Instead, she got sunlight filtering in through the curtains during the late morning. She hated it regardless. 

"Ugh...What the hell?" Lita muttered, and she forced herself up and out of bed. She figured she might as well get up and start breakfast - complete with coffee, of course - since it was pretty obvious she wouldn't be getting back to sleep anyway. 

Her dog, Cody, rose from his spot in a corner of the room - he had a doggy bed over there - as she rose and padded to the small kitchen. He was a doberman, and Lita had gotten him nine years earlier from a nearby shelter. She'd had him for just about as long as she'd been living here, ever since moving out of her parents' house at eighteen. 

Quietly, she filled the dog's dish and water bowl, then prepared a pot of coffee for herself. 

The redhead switched on the small portable radio she kept above the refridgerator as she waited for the brew to percolate. But she couldn't sto thinking about what had happened at four that morning... 

She'd easily figured out that Edge had to have been the one to attack Christian - but _why_? If the tall, mysterious blond man was simply a mugger, surely he would have taken her purse, or at least her wallet. But he hadn't - he'd apologized profusely and had left her alone. 

She'd grabbed a small can of mace out of her purse when he'd loosened his grip on her. Despite the fact that mace was illegal, she would have used it had she not seen his face... 

Lita mentally replayed the incident, and something suddenly hit her. It hadn't really registered last night, probably due to her shock. 

Edge had stated that he'd thought she was someone else - which meant that he'd meant to attack someone regardless - another woman. Because, although it had been pretty dark, there was no way the blond had mistaken her for a man... 

The redhead frowned as she rose from the kitchen table, deciding to quickly throw some breakfast together so she could set out to work. 

She was going to do a little private investigating... 

Less than an hour later, Lita was in her five-year-old Toyota Corolla, on her way to a friend's house. She needed access to a computer to do her detective work. 

As she reached her destination - the Hardy residence - she put the car in park in the driveway and hurriedly left the car, rushing up to the front of the house. 

She rang the doorbell, and the door opened soon after, a young man with shaggy Manic Panic-dyed blue hair smiling out at her. 

"Hey, Li..." he said with a smile, his bright green eyes merry as he held the door open wider for her to enter. 

"Hi, Jeff," she replied, and her best friend's dog - a boxer named Liger - suddenly appeared and jumped up on her. "Hi to you, too, Liger..." She stooped a little to allow the friendly canine to lick her face, then straightened back up. 

"What's up?" The man was curious, as Lita hadn't divulged him, and he knew her well enough to know when something was going on - and when there was something she wasn't telling him. 

"Um...Jeff, I need to use your computer," the redhead replied, deliberately ignoring the deeper meaning she knew was there. 

"Sure thing," he said, and he led her to the living room, where he and his older brother - and roommate - Matt, kept their PC. 

As she followed her friend into the room, Lita found herself glad that Matt wasn't home, as she didn't feel quite as comfortable with him as she did with Jeff - despite their friendship. 

"Li...is something wrong?" 

"Hmm?" 

"You just seem a little - I dunno - I _know _you...I can tell something's wrong..." Jeff said. "What happened?" he asked, turning back to face her as he switched on the computer. 

Lita bit her lip, then sighed and raked a hand through her long hair nervously. 

"Okay, I'll tell you," she began, "but you have to _promise _me you won't freak out or do anything stupid..." 

The young man arched an eyebrow as he gave her a strange look. Then, slowly, the redhead began to explain... 

Part 6 

Back 


	6. Chapter 6

Half an hour later, Lita was on a search engine online, doing a search for local news items. Within minutes, she uncovered the story of Christian, the young man whom Edge had attacked a couple of nights previous. 

Despite what she hoped, there wasn't a whole lot of information - at least none different than what she'd heard on the radio last night. 

The redhead had been hoping to learn more about Christian - so as to get a clue, even one extremely minute, why the other man had attacked him. 

Lita was on the computer for two and a half hours by the time Jeff returned to the living room, a glass of iced tea in each hand. He placed one beside her near the keyboard as he sat down, pulling his chair closer to her. 

"I don't get it, Li...Why the sudden obsession with this guy?" 

"What?" The redhead turned her head sharply to her left to stare into the young man's almost guileless face, her heart quickening. She hadn't told him a thing about Edge... 

"This Christian guy - he's someone that comes into the diner once in awhile, right?" 

"Well, he's sort of a regular diner there..." she replied. 

"And it looks like you've developed a little crush on him," Jeff said, a slight grin taking form on his face. 

"No!" Lita insisted, and she couldn't help the tiny smile that came to her lips, as she was relieved to see that he _hadn't _suddenly become psychic after all. Thank goodness for _that_. 

"Well then, what's up with all of this?" the rainbow-headed man asked, gesturing toward the PC with one hand. 

"Just a little private investigating...I'd like to visit Christian in the hospital," she added. It was true - since she couldn't find any pertinent information, she wouldn't mind paying the blond man a visit. 

"Li, you're weirding all out on me here..." 

The redhead gaped at Jeff. 

"_You_, Jeff Hardy, are telling me _I'm _weirding out? Jeff, you're really one to talk! You're the weirdest person I know!" 

"I know, but you're acting totally _different_ kind of weird..." 

Lita looked at him seriously for a beat, considering telling him the truth, then changed her mind. 

"Okay, fine...Whatever." She turned back to the computer screen to find the name of the hospital Christian had been brought to. She'd heard it on the radio two days earlier, but she'd forgotten. 

"Lincoln Memorial..." the redhead mumbled a moment later as she read the words across the computer monitor. 

"Are you serious?" Jeff asked as he brought the glass down from his lips. At his other side, Liger was seated on his haunches, his head resting on his master's knee. "You're really serious about visiting this guy in the hospital?" 

"You bet your ass I am, Jeffy..." 

Lita hated to just run out when Jeff had been nice enough to allow her use of his computer, but she couldn't help it. She was feeling way too antsy and couldn't get everything off her mind - Edge in particular... Somehow, she wanted to put the pieces of the mystery together. 

_Why _on earth had he attacked Christian? Why had he tried to attack _her_? Who had he mistaken her for when he'd grabbed her? All of these questions, plus more, pervaded her mind. 

After parking her car around the corner from the facility, Lita walked briskly to the hospital. She made certain to pace herself, for she didn't want to upset the patient in any way. 

Upon entering the hospital, the redhead found out where the nurses' station was located, then promptly got Christian's room number. 

After exiting the elevator on the appropriate floor, she quickly located the room. The door was open, and, tentatively, she stuck her head in. 

The blond man in the bed, although sleepy-looking, sensed her presence and turned his head in her direction. Seeing her, his face took on a look of slight surprise. on in..." 

The redhead bit her lip as she entered, then cursed herself for not having stopped for flowers or something. 

"Hey...How are you?" she asked as she sat in the chair beside the bed. 

"Better - but I still feel like hell..." 

Lita was silent for a beat, then was about to ask her first question when she was startled by the sudden sound of heels clacking on the tile floor. Then, as she looked up at the person who'd entered the room, her eyes widened in surprise. 

"Dawn Marie...?" 

Part 7 

Back 


	7. Chapter 7

Dawn Marie initally just stood in her tracks and stared at Amy, blinking, as if she were a deer trapped in the headlights of an oncoming car. Then, after a beat, she stepped forward, the tray of food she held in her hands shaking ever so slightly. 

To Lita, it was pretty evident that the brunette had been caught off-guard. She cocked her head as she eyed her friend curiously. 

"Hi, Lita..." Dawn finally spoke as she set the tray down on the little pull-out table attached to the side of Christian's bed. Despite the smile she now sported, her hands shook a bit, which told the redhead that she was nervous. 

Lita wondered what in hell was going on. First, the previous night, Dawn Marie had been so damn nervous at the diner - to the point that she hadn't wanted to leave the kitchen. And now, she was _here_, by this guy Christian's bedside at the hospital. What in the world was this all about? 

Her breath quickened as she suddenly made the connection - Edge... It _had _to be him. When Dawn had looked so scared at work last night, the tall blond man had been at the diner, sitting at a table. And Christian, she knew, had been attacked by Edge - whatever the reason. 

As the brunette sat down on the other side of the bed, Lita decided not to beat around the bush. 

"What's going on here?" 

"What?" Dawn Marie looked up sharply at her friend's question, her eyes filled with alarm. She was obviously distracted and nervous - just as she'd been last night. 

The redhead briefly glanced over at Christian, who eyed her curiously, his blue eyes shifting back to the other woman. Lita too shifted her gaze back to Dawn Marie. 

"This..." she said, gesturing with her hands spread. "What is this all about? You - here?" 

Dawn visibly swallowed, her brown, anxiety-filled eyes traveling back to the blond man in the bed. 

"I-I'm visiting Christian..." 

"I _know _that..." Lita said. "That much is obviously. I'm just surprised to see you here. And I don't understand what's going on..." 

Before the brunette could respond, Christian reached over the side of the bed and took hold of one of her hands. The gesture was not lost on the redhead. 

"I think I can answer one of your questions, Lita..." he began, and the redheaded woman arched a brow in surprise. 

"Dawn Marie is here by my side...because she's my wife..." 

Lita's eyes widened as she not only felt further surprise by the blond man's admission, but now she also felt fully shocked. She stared from one of them to the other, her mouth actually dropping open. She hated the way Dawn bowed her head, not as though in embarrassment - the brunette appeared more... Lita didn't understand why the words 'terror-filled' suddenly popped into her head. 

She was even _more _curious now and wanted more than ever to know what the heck was going on... 

Part 8 

Back 


	8. Chapter 8

Lita swallowed hard as she stared at her good friend and co-worker from The Stop. 

Dawn Marie was married to Christian... They were husband and wife - all this horrible stuff had happened to Christian, and the brunette had never let on a thing. She'd gone to work like normal and had basically acted as though her husband were a perfect stranger - or at least no more than an occasional acquaintence. 

"I don't...I can't believe this!" the redhead exclaimed as she regarded the other woman. "You're his _what_? 

Dawn Marie eyed Lita silently. Her facial expression remained morose, and perhaps even a little bit ashamed. 

"Why didn't you tell anyone? Why didn't you at least tell _me_? She was feeling hurt, as she'd considered the other woman and herself to be pretty damn good friends in the last year or so they'd known one another. 

"We had to keep it a secret..." Dawn finally spoke. "I'm sorry, Lita...It wasn't meant to be kept from _you_..." 

"But _why_?" The redhead couldn't comprehend such a thing. All she knew was that if _she_ was married and deeply in love, she would want the entire world to know it. 

"I can answer that one for you," Christian said. He exchanged glances with his wife, who looked more than a little worried. In fact, she looked downright terrified. "We had to hide it from Dawn's ex-boyfriend..." 

All of the fine hairs on the back of Lita's neck suddenly stood erect and alive. Her mouth also went dry as she realized the implications of what the man had just said. 

"Her ex-boyfriend...?" Instinctively, Lita knew Christian could only be referring to one person, and one person only... 

...Edge. 

All of a sudden, the redhead understood - to an extent. Edge had been sitting at a table at the diner the previous night - that had been around the same time Dawn Marie had been acting so nervous and scared. And then it hit her like a ton of bricks - was it possible that the tall, mysterious blond man was _stalking_ the brunette? Dear God... Lita couldn't help but wonder what on earth had gone on between the two of them. 

"Lita..." Dawn was saying, her voice taking on a slightly pleading quality by now, and the redhead glanced over into her friend's brown eyes as she felt Dawn take her hand. There was a beseeching quality in the other woman's face, her expression appearing haunted. "Please, Lita...I'm sorry I kept this from you. We're friends - _good_ friends. I was just thinking about our safety..." She glanced from the redhead to her husband, then back again. 

"Okay..." the younger woman responded, a nagging feeling inside of her. She had about a million questions to ask, but she bit her tongue, as she felt this was not exactly the time or the place. After all, Christian was in the hospital after having been brutally attacked. 

Lita just didn't get it... Even if Edge _had_ been Dawn Marie's boyfriend, and even if he still loved her and was jealous and still wanted her, he just didn't strike her as being the type of guy who would wreak such havoc. On the other hand, the redhead really didn't know him. 

"Lita, please...whatever you do, _please_ - keep this between us, okay?" Dawn was asking, the pleading quality again present in her voice - and in her eyes this time as well. 

The redhead eyed her good friend silently for a beat, a myriad of emotions doing battle inside of her. Suddenly, she couldn't get the image of Edge's exceptionally and sharply handsome face out of her mind. Damn it, but she _had_ to find out what the deal was with him... 

"Okay...I promise to keep it between us..." she finally replied. Inwardly, she thought about the next step she would take in doing her own personal investigation of Edge. And what Dawn Marie and Christian didn't know wouldn't hurt them - she would make certain of it... 

Part 9 

Back 


	9. Chapter 9

Lita yawned as she tapped her fingers impatiently on the window sill. 

She was back at home, sitting on the tiny sofa in her small living room, gazing out the window at nothng in particular. Her thoughts were consumed by everything she'd learned in the past two days... On _Edge_... 

She wondered why it seemed nearly impossible for her to rid herself of thoughts of the man. It was most likely due to the fact of his mysteriousness - not to mention the fact that she was undeniably attracted to him. 

The redhead sighed, then ran a hand through her long hair. She couldn't understand how Dawn Marie could have hidden such things as her marriage, her worry and anguish over her husband's fate. Lita knew that, had _she_ been in her friend's shoes, she'd never have been able to pretend and hide the way the brunette had. 

And _that_ brought back the question of Edge's role in all of this... _Why_ did the tall blond man attack Dawn Marie's husband? 

Lita was suddenly startled out of her thoughts as something soft brushed against her. She looked down to see Cody nuzzling her knee. 

Settling back against the couch cushions, she reached down to pet the doberman. She sat quietly for several long, pensive minutes, her gaze focused somewhere far ahead of her. 

Then, training her gaze on the dog, she spoke. 

"I have to find out what's going on, Cody...In fact, I won't rest until I _do_..." 

Lita felt as though she were floating. It was a very strange sensation, especially considering the fact that she was walking. Plus, she was on her way home after work, her shift at the diner having just ended - it was nearly three in the morning. 

The redhead yawned, running a hand lazily through her hair. All she could think of was getting home, to her nice, warm, welcoming bed. 

All of a sudden, Lita was wide awake as she heard footsteps behind her. They sounded very close, at that... 

Not chancing a glance over her shoulder, the young woman quickened her step, her heart suddenly pounding in triple time like a double-bass drum. 

_Damn it_... Lita thought. Some creep was following her. And _why_ did that have to happen? She didn't have much money to give to a mugger. She was a _waitress_, for crying out loud! 

And oh, God... She could only hope and pray that the guy following her was not a rapist... 

Suddenly, somehow, Lita found herself at a dead end. She didn't know _how_ such a thing were possible, for there _weren't_ any dead end streets around these parts - but sure enough, it _was_ there. She decided to make an attempt at bravado she didn't really feel. 

Turning around to face her stalker, her eyes looking all around - it was pitch dark and she couldn't see the asshole - she spoke. 

"Leave me alone, if you know what's good for you, creep!" 

No response... 

"I know tae kwon do, so don't even _try_ me, shithead!" she yelled. She stood there, her heart pounding even harder at the preternatural silence. Then, in the blink of an eye, a dark shadow sprang out toward her, and Lita's scream was cut short as the man speared her with all his weight to the bare ground... 

"Oh, God!" 

The redhead glanced all around, her eyes wide, her breathing fast. And then she suddenly calmed down as she noticed Cody nearby, the dog looking at her, his burly head cocked to one side. 

It had all just been a dream... 

Part 10 

Back 


	10. Chapter 10

_Wake me up inside   
Wake me up inside   
Call my name   
And save me from the dark   
Bid my blood to run   
Before I come undone   
Save me from...   
...the nothing I've become..._

The next evening, Lita entered The Stop with both eyes and ears open. She glanced around as she hitched her purse higher on her shoulder. Somehow, she kept expecting to see the mysterious Edge sitting in a remote corner of the place. 

The tall blond man was nowhere to be seen... 

The redhead also noted that Dawn Marie was apparently not in that night. Now that she knew the truth about her brunette friend, however, that really didn't come as any surprise. 

Trish Stratus, on the other hand, was there, the little blonde evidently free of classes for the rest of the day. She sidled up to Lita as she finished up with a pair of young men at one of her tables. 

"Hey, Li..." Trish said as she bumped the other woman playfully. 

"Hey, Trish..." 

"Thank goodness you're here!" the blonde cried as she balanced plates in either hand. "Dawn Marie can't make it because she has a family emergency, and-" She lowered her voice to a whisper as she continued. "-that bitch Torrie is late, as usual..." 

"Jeez...you mean _you've_ been waiting all these tables yourself?" the redhead asked. 

"Not exactly," Trish replied, and as though on cue, she gestured with a tilt of her head toward the double doors leading from the kitchen. 

Lita looked over in that direction, and her eyes widened in surprise, her mouth opening as well. 

Stephanie McMahon was actually donning an apron over her business suit, a hot plate in her hands. The manager wore a bit of a grimace on her face, and it was clearly evident that she wasn't used to this kind of work. 

Lita couldn't believe it, and turned her head to eye Trish with shock. 

"Ever since Torrie didn't show up in time for her shift, she's been helping me wait the tables..." the petite blonde explained. 

The redhead shook her head in amazement, then bounded off for the kitchen. She needed to change into her uniform and retrieve her apron. 

"Hey, Chris..." 

"Hey, Red..." Jericho said with a friendly wink. "It's been a pretty hectic night..." 

"I can see that!" Lita said, the image of Stephanie playing waitress burned into her brain. 

"Yeah, Torrie's late..." Chris said. "_Supposedly_, she's not stripping across town tonight, so Steph assumes she'll _be_ here, but..." He shook his head. 

Lita snatched up her apron and made a beeline for the tiny bathroom that was just beyond, further to the back of the restaurant. 

"Well, I'll be ready to pitch in in a jiffy..." she promised. 

When she exited the lavatory a moment or so later, the redhead rushed through the double doors to the dining area. She reached for her little pad and pen and smiled as she spotted Jeff and Matt Hardy seated at one of her tables. 

As she started over, she suddenly stopped in her tracks. Torrie Wilson, who'd apparently just arrived as she'd been changing, stood bent over a table in one corner. The tall platinum blonde's face wore a big, dimply smile as she chatted with a man sitting alone... 

Lita noted the man's long blond hair... It couldn't be anyone else but... 

And then, he turned his head a bit so that she got a look at his profile... 

...Sure enough, it was Edge... 

Part 11 

Back 


	11. Chapter 11

Edge rose and went around to the other side of his table to sit facing the rest of the diner. He noted Lita standing about halfway across the establishment, his eyes instantly meeting hers. Then, a split second later, the redhead turned away to go about her business. 

the blond man couldn't help but take that as avoidance. A distinct look of... _something_ had crossed her features. He couldn't quite pinpoint the emotion, but if it wasn't mistrust, it was definitely something at least close... 

Edge forced a smile for Torrie Wilson's benefit, the tall blonde waitress waving at him as she reappeared from the kitchen. Although he'd only met the woman a few minutes earlier, something about her really grated on his nerves. She'd been friendly to him - _overly_ so, in his opinion - but there was some sort of obvious superficiality to that woman. Her entire aura just seemed so... contrived. 

The other woman, a short, pretty blonde whose name he'd overheard earlier - Trish - seemed to be a good friend to Lita, judging by the way the pair interacted with one another. And then, sure enough, as though following along with his current thoughts, Trish approached Lita, and the two women began chatting in hushed tones. 

As he sat there, glancing over the few other diners while waiting for Torrie to come by to take his order, he thought about the fourth waitress who worked at this place - Dawn Marie... 

The brunette was not here tonight, and the blond man knew why... Dawn was waiting on her husband. Christian was probably home from the hospital by now, and requiring tender loving care from his devoted wife... 

A frown creased Edge's brow as he thought about the happy couple... Chrisitian had some nerve... He really thought he'd be able to get away with it - all the years of misery he'd put him through, and on top of that, stealing his girl... Edge told himself that, no matter how all of this ended, _he_ would be the one of them to walk away victorious... 

"So...Can I take your order?" 

The blond man looked up abruptly to see Torrie standing over him, a big smile on her face. She reached for a pencil that happened to be situated above her left ear and inadvertently or not, twirled a lock of platinum around her finger as she retrieved it. The woman was definitely attractive, and obviously flirting with him. He knew without a shadow of a doubt that he could fuck her if he wanted to - but he was not the least bit interested in her. She had a sleazy, slutty aura about her. Who knew where she'd been... But more importantly, it was _Lita_ he found intruiging. There was something about the fiery redhead he found alluring... It wasn't even her looks, either - although they certainly didn't hurt... 

"Yeah...Give me a cup of coffee and a BLT..." 

"Coffee and a BLT..." Torrie repeated, writing his order down in her little notepad. "Will that be all, or can I offer you anything _else_...?" The blonde batted her eyelashes, giving him a come-hither look. 

"Nothing else, thanks," he said, a somewhat cruel smile coming to his handsome face. The truth was, he really didn't care for women like Torrie. 

The tall blonde's smile faltered, making her look somewhat stupid. 

"Um...okay," she said, looking as though attempting to gather herself. It was quite evident that the woman wasn't used to men not becoming instantly captivated by her and taking the bait she so freely offered. 

Torrie walked away, leaving Edge thankfully alone at his booth. Now, if only Lita would step out through the double swinging doors of the kitchen. 

Then, as though getting his wish heard and fulfilled by some magical fairy, the redhead did that. She was a vision to him, even in her light pink waitress' uniform, a crisp white apron tied around her waist. She hurried over to one of her tables, at which two young men - who looked as though they could be brothers - sat. 

To Edge's unpleasant surprise, the redhead suddenly leaned over to embrace each of the men in turn. He could also hear her speaking to them, and her lovely face wore a bright smile. 

"I'm _so_ glad you guys finally came here to see me!" 

"Don't flatter yourself..." one of them - the dark-haired one spoke. "We're just here to try the food..." 

"He's just kidding, Li," the other one - whose hair was an odd shade of red mixed with orange - said. "You know we love you!" 

Edge tried not to openly stare... But damn if he wasn't feel jealous as hell... 

Part 12 

Back 


	12. Chapter 12

Lita felt her guard go up a few notches as she heard one of the waitresses enter the kitchen. Despite the fact that her back was turned, she caught the distinct scent of Obsession and knew it wasn't Trish or Stephanie who'd just come in - it was Torrie. 

She turned around as the tall platinum blonde suddenly let out a frustrated groan. 

"Of all the nerve!" 

The redhead studied the other woman intently for a beat. While she had no love lost toward Torrie, she was damn curious as to why the woman was so upset. Making up her mind, she bit the bullet. 

"What's wrong?" 

Torrie faced her, blue eyes flashing in aggravation. 

"That man out there! The tall blond one...?" 

Lita arched an eyebrow as she instantly knew the other girl was referring to Edge. She didn't speak, opting instead to wait for the blonde to finish explaining. 

"He must be _gay_ or something!" she cried, throwing her hands up as though in surrender. 

Through the corner of her eye, the redheaded woman noticed Chris Jericho - who was by the stove - roll his eyes, then stick a finger down his throat, silently mock-vomiting. The chef certainly didn't care for Torrie at all. The big irony here was that, shortly after the woman had started working at The Stop, she'd said the same thing about Jericho when _he'd_ rejected her advances. But Lita knew the blond man's reasons were far from Torrie's accusations - in reality, Chris had a huge, albeit unrequited, crush on Trish. 

"Why do you think that?" she asked innocently. 

Torrie glared at her incredulously. 

"Because I practically threw myself at him, and he wasn't interested!" 

By some miracle, the redhead managed not to roll her eyes as Chris had just done. 

'Maybe that's because he doesn't like sluts like you... Or maybe it's just because he doesn't like _you_...' she thought. Aloud, she said, "Oh, well... So life goes on." 

Torrie huffed angrily, her hands clenching into fists before she turned toward Jericho, whom she hadn't even so much as acknowledged up until now. 

"Anyway, this asshole wants a BLT," she said. 

Lita's eyes narrowed as she eyed the back of the waitress' blonde head, then met Chris' blue ones. Again, he rolled his eyes, but Torrie didn't notice, as she had spun on her heel and was already heading out. 

"God, what a bitch..." Jericho said, shaking his head. "I honestly don't know why Steph hasn't fired her by now." 

The redhead agreed. 

"Yeah, _tell_ me about it." She wondered why Edge hadn't taken the 'bait' Torrie had apparently so freely offered. Most men wouldn't hesitate to have a free romp in the hay with women like the blonde. Then again, she reminded herself that Dawn Marie was the man's ex-girlfriend - maybe he still had feelings for the brunette, despite her nuptials. Or maybe he just preferred women like Dawn, who had class - to skanks the likes of Torrie Wilson. Either way, or whatever the case, she found herself feeling glad Edge had no interest in her. 

After another few minutes, Lita realized she had to get back out to the dining area. Chris handed her two plates, which were Matt and Jeff Hardy's orders, and she was off. 

When she was by the young men's table, she couldn't help chancing a glance in Edge's direction. The tall blond man just so happened to be staring directly at her. 

"Here you go," she said to her friends. "Jeff, you want a pizza burger deluxe, and Matt requested chicken marsala with the works." Her gaze again traveled to Edge, and she was surprised to see he was gesturing to her. "Guys, I'll be back... Enjoy." 

The redhead walked over to the mysterious blond man's table, questions swirling through her head. 

"Hello, Lita," Edge said with a smile. His green eyes scanned her from head-to-toe, a gesture that was not lost on the redheaded woman. 

Lita blushed at his intense scrutiny of her. Likewise, her heart began to pound. 

"Hi." 

"Can I ask you a question?" 

"Sure," Lita replied, though she wondered what on earth _he_ could possibly want to ask _her_. _He_ was the mystery, not _her_. 

"Would you wait on me?" the blond man asked, leaning back in his seat comfortably as he continued to eye her languidly. Yes, she was sure gentle on his eyes. 

The woman arched an eyebrow at that. He was seated at one of Torrie's tables. Besides, the platinum blonde had already called in his order to Jericho. 

"Come again?" 

"Oh, it's just that I'd much rather _you_ wait on me than that girl Torrie. I like you, Lita..." 

A series of chills raced up her spine. God, she was in trouble - because this beautiful man definitely had her under his spell. 

Part 13 

Back 


	13. Chapter 13

Lita couldn't help the smile that came to her lips as she eyed the handsome blond man sitting at the booth before her. 

He was so damn charming... And somehow, the redheaded waitress had a feeling he _knew_ it. 

"Well..." she managed. "This is one of Torrie's tables, but maybe I can make an exception and wait on you if you like." Inside, she was actually cringing, as she realized she sounded like a silly teenage girl with a crush on the cute, popular guy in school. Despite herself, she couldn't help the intense attraction she felt toward this man. And she was pretty sure that attraction was mutual. 

"That would be great," Edge said, his green eyes still examining her pretty face. 

Lita's smile widened a bit more, and, embarrassed, she noticed Matt and Jeff Hardy watching them in her peripheral vision. She knew she was going to have to answer more than a few questions from her friends later on. She only hoped Jeff wouldn't jump on her for having an interest in the man who'd attacked Christian... 

"Okay... Well... I'd better go see to someone else's order," the young woman said self-consciously. 

"Wait, one more thing," Edge said, his emerald gaze still fixed to her. 

"Sure..." Lita said expectantly. 

The blond man licked his lips in slight nervousness, then quickly ran a hand through his long hair. 

"Can I take you out sometime?" 

The redhead blinked in surprise, her heart pounding fast as she absorbed his question. Had this man really just asked her out? She was in such shock that she couldn't initially reply. 

"Okay, okay," the man said, waving one hand. "Your silence speaks for you. I understand." 

"Huh?" Lita snapped back to reality in an instant, shaking her head. "Oh, no - I'm just surprised, that's all. I'd love to go out sometime." 

"Oh..." Edge said, blinking. A small gleam came into his eyes as he looked back up into the waitress' eyes intensely. "Fantastic," he smiled. "When is the next time you're free?" 

The redhead cocked her head to one side. 

"Actually, I'm free tomorrow night," she answered. "Day off." _And well-deserved_, she thought. It had been a long time coming, as she'd been having to fill in for Torrie and do the blonde's shift on nights she'd been a no-show. 

"All right... So, it's a date," the tall man said, leaning back in his seat as he eyed her appreciatively. 

Lita bit her lip, a smile returning to her face as she fumbled with her little notepad. She wrote down her phone number, then tore off the sheet and handed it to him. 

"Give me a call and we can figure out where to meet and stuff..." she said. 

"I'll definitely do that," Edge promised. 

The redhead gave a little nod, then turned to head across the establishment to another table. Her smile vanished as she caught sight of Torrie standing several feet away, staring at her with contempt on her face. The platinum blonde had a plate in one hand, the BLT the blond man had ordered on it, a cup of coffee and a saucer in the other. There appeared to be a touch of suspicion in her blue eyes. Evidently, she was not pleased with Lita's exchanged with Edge. 

The redhead ignored the other woman as she headed for one of her tables. Torrie, meanwhile, made a beeline for the tall blond man's table, her facial expression still annoyed. 

"So, what gives?" the pushy busty blonde asked as she placed the BLT and coffee before the Canadian man. 

Edge reached for the sandwich and took a hearty bite. 

"Hmm?" He glanced up at his waitress cursorily. 

"How dare you?!" Torrie cried, a cross look coming to her features. "You reject me - _me_! And then you go and make a date with the skank of this place?" 

Across the restaurant, Lita's guard went up, fury coming to her as she caught the blonde's words. Her first instinct was to march over to Torrie and punch her out, but she refrained from doing so out of fear of losing her job. As much as she disliked the woman, it just wasn't worth it. 

"My, my..." Edge said, his tone chastising. He shook his head as he glared at the blonde bimbo. "No need to be so bitter toward her just because I wasn't interested..." 

Torrie narrowed her eyes at him. 

"Oh, I get it - you must be _gay_..." 

"No - I just happen to not like whores like you," came the calm, confident retort, and other diners nearby 'oohed,' eyeing the two with great interest. 

The platinum blonde felt her face flush deep red, and, humiliated, she turned and raced toward the kitchen. 

Edge's handsome face wore a satisfied grin as he watched Torrie storm off, then he shifted his gaze to Lita. 

Some of the diners, as well as Trish, who'd also overheard the dispute, applauded... 

Part 14 

Back 


	14. Chapter 14

Edge raked a hand through his hair as he strolled down the street. He turned back to glance cursorily at his car, a sporty black 2001 Corvette, noting where he'd parked. 

He glanced down at the small piece of paper in his hand, at the address Lita had given him over the phone. And then, as he walked a little ways more, he found her house. 

The place was modest in size but seemed cozy and welcoming, which he liked. Sort of like the redhead herself. 

He rang the doorbell, only to hear a loud barking by what was obviously a large dog. As he waited, he ran his hand through his hair again, hoping the woman wouldn't see that he was nervous. He knew Lita wouldn't mind that, but his own pride and male ego shouted against letting down his walls of self-protection. 

The door suddenly opened, and the young woman stuck her head out as she tried her darndest to keep her dog inside. 

"Hey... Come in." She seemed to wrestle with the animal - a male doberman pinscher now that he got a good look - as she held onto his collar. "Down, Cody!" 

Edge stepped inside, his gaze on Lita's pet. Rather than shrink back when the dog tried to jump up on him, he knelt down to his level. 

"Cody, huh?" 

Lita nodded. "Sorry," she said, meaning the dog's jumping on him. 

"Oh, it's okay." The blond man tentatively reached a hand out toward the dog, allowing him to smell him. "Hey, Cody... Good boy..." Then, when it seemed all right to do so, he raised his hand and patted the doberman's head. 

"Wow," the redhead marveled, "he very rarely takes to anyone that quickly. She grinned as the blond man straightened up and stood before her. "You must have a magic touch." 

"I'm sure you'll find that out first-hand later tonight..." 

Lita blushed a deep red at his words and their very obvious meaning. Biting her lip, she turned away and headed for the kitchen, not wanting him to see her embarrassment. 

Edge followed her into the tiny kitchen - as did Cody, his claws clicking off the tile floor. She was at the sink, retrieving a glass. 

"Want something to drink?" 

"Hey, you don't have to do that..." he protested and took the glass from her hand. "You do this sort of thing at that diner all the time. Let _me_." 

She didn't want anything, so she politely declined, and then the blond man poured himself a glass of water. As he drank, Lita watched him intently, her gaze for some reason drawn to his throat and Adam's apple as he swallowed. She couldn't help but notice, as always, how very handsome a man he was. He was wearing his ever-present black trenchcoat, but underneath, she could see the black slacks and black button-down shirt. Ad damn, he sure favored black and dark colors, from what she noticed. 

Ironically, it was just at that moment that the man seemed to take note of the way she was dressed tonight. As he finished his drink and rinsed the glass, he studied her in an unabashed way, his green eyes taking in the leg and cleavage she displayed in her strappy little red dress. Again, she blushed, but she felt good. 

"You look really amazing," Edge said, giving her a twice-over. "Wow, I never noticed that tattoo before..." 

"Oh, this?" Lita said self-consciously, her arms crossing as she gazed down at the body art. "I got it in Amsterdam a few years back." 

"You went to Amsterdam? Cool," he said, surprised. He wondered if her life had been as much of an adventure as his own had been - and still _was_. 

"Yeah," she said as they headed out of the kitchen to leave. She patted Cody before they stepped through the door and she locked it. "I sort of treated myself to a trip there after college." She followed alongside him as he made his way to a black sportscar - a Corvette. 

"Nice car," she observed, impressed. 

Edge unlocked the passenger's side first, holding the door open and waiting for her to enter. The redhead smiled at the gentlemanly gesture, and then he slipped into the driver's side and put the key in the ignition. 

"So, what kind of food do you like?" 

"Um... I like all different kinds," she admitted. "Hey, I know a great Japanese place in town." 

"Great," the blond man said as he pulled out of the parking space. "I love Japanese. You be the navigator." 

Lita smiled, but her expression returned to neutral and then pondering as she thought about Dawn Marie and Christian, and their ties with this man. She was on a date with him - she knew it wasn't the right time to ask questions about that unpleasantness, but she only hoped she could hold out until later. 

Naturally, her overly inquisitive mind would get her in over her head later on... 

Part 15 

Back 


	15. Chapter 15

Lita eyed Edge curiously as she plucked a piece of salmon sushi with her chopsticks. Her eyes left the delicious Japanese raw delicacy as she dipped it into some soy sauce, her gaze falling on the gorgeous man sitting across from her. 

She couldn't rid her mind of everything she'd learned so recently. What was the deal with Edge attacking her in that dark alley that night? He'd thought she was someone else... Judging by all her fastidious detective work, his intended victim could only be Dawn Marie. She wondered more and more about their past. 

"So... Can I ask you a question?" the redhead asked, deciding to just bite the proverbial bullet. The suspense had already gotten the best of her, and she couldn't help herself. 

The handsome blond man finished chewing a scrumptious piece of unagi, then swallowed before replying. 

"Lovely Lita, you can ask me anything..." 

She wondered how true that statement really was. If he only knew what she was about to inquire... Despite her suspicions that it would be a touchy subject for him to say the least, she voiced it. 

"Why did you set out to grab Dawn Marie that night when you attacked me?" 

The question threw Edge off completely, and he nearly choked on a sip of sake, then gaped at the woman for a beat before looking more than a little uncomfortable. His green gaze darted around the meager-sized restaurant, as though he were fearful of whom might have overheard the redhead's question. 

Lita bit her lip in slight nervousness, wondering how in hell she'd ever garnered up the nerve to voice such a thing. Lord knew, she was not a person who was nosy or who pried where she didn't belong. Then again, Edge _had_ attacked _her_, so she did have some right to question him. 

"What?" the blond man finally managed, his gaze returning to hers. 

The redhead plundered on, despite the nagging voice that was suddenly in her head. 

"She's your ex-girlfriend, isn't she?" 

Edge stared at her wordlessly for a moment. He could hardly believe what he was hearing. How on earth did she know these things? And, more importantly, how _much_ did she know? Jeez... He hoped she was not some undercover cop or something. What a mess _that_ would be. 

He swallowed hard, then nodded so slightly it was nearly imperceptible. 

"Yeah, she's my ex-girlfriend," he admitted in a whisper. 

"Is that why you attacked Christian?" Lita asked in sotto voce. She didn't know what was wrong with her, why she was just blurting out all these probing questions. She guessed her damn curiosity was just getting the best of her - but she wasn't putting herself in danger by asking... Was she? Somehow, she had the distinct sense that Edge would never do anything to hurt her. And that was despite everything she knew. 

"Okay, I get it..." the blond man finally said after a long moment of silence in which he'd simply stared at her. "You've obviously been doing your homework on me... No more questions or answers until we get out of here, all right?" 

Silently, the redhead nodded. 

"Fair enough..." 

Part 16 

Back 


	16. Chapter 16

Edge and Lita sat in his black sports car later on, in relative silence. 

So, it was all out in the open. The redhead knew he'd been the one to attack Christian. He didn't know what to make of it all. And he sat there silently, not offering any information. If she wanted to know more, she would have to ask. But he knew he wouldn't lie to her. 

As he glanced out the windshield ahead, he could feel the redhead's gaze on him. In fact, he could see her watching him in his peripheral vision. 

Finbally, he sighed and couldn't take the suspense anymore. 

"Are you a cop? Working undercover or something?" 

The question threw Lita off somewhat. 

"No," she answered. "I'm not a cop, Edge... Just a very, very curious waitress." 

"Okay," the blond man said, shaking his head. His gaze drifted again to the windshield, and he fiddled with the keys in the ignition for a beat as he went on. 

"So, how do you know everything you know?" 

"I got curious after you grabbed me in the alley," Lita admitted. "So, I did a little research and found out what hospital Christian was in." 

"Uh hmm..." Edge turned to gaze at her, his green eyes strangely glittering despite the darkness surrounding them. 

"So... When I saw Christian, you can just imagine my surprise when Dawn Marie came into the room." 

The tall blond man remained silent but looked thoughtful. He recalled that night, and how he'd seen Dawn again for the first time in months. He'd spotted her in the dining area of the diner, and she'd gone absolutely white as a sheet when their eyes had met. He'd merely given her a winning grin and she'd bolted for the kitchen. 

He hadn't really seen the bitch again after that. But he'd known she was still there, as he'd staked out the restaurant for a few hours after he'd left. 

Of course, he'd made the mistake of thinking Lita was the brunette - and so, he'd grabbed her. 

"What... happened between the two of you? The three of you?" 

Edge glanced over at the woman in the passenger's seat, his mind whirling as the memories flitted through his head. How could he explain all this mess to anyone, especially to Lita, whom he truly liked and felt a strange connection to? He ran both hands through his mass of golden hair, then fixed his gaze on her again. 

"You really want to know the truth?" 

She nodded. 

"Dawn Marie is my ex-girlfriend," he began, "as you figured out. But she's also turned into a schemer - and a lot more since she hooked up with Christian..." 

The redhead arched one perfectly sculpted eyebrow at his words. As far as she'd known, in the couple of years she'd known Dawn Marie, she'd always thought of the brunette as a good person. 

"Who is Christian to you? Is he someone you knew before?" 

Edge nodded. 

"I've known him pretty much my entire life - our entire lives..." 

Lita's eyes widened in anticipation of his next words. 

You see, Christian is my brother... Well, that is, he's my step-brother..." 

Part 17 

Back 


	17. Chapter 17

Lita gaped at Edge with shock at his revelation. That had been one of the last things she'd expected to hear. However, now more than ever, she was filled with even more curiosity. Okay, so the tall blond man's step-brother had somehow stolen away his girlfriend and gone so far as to marry her. But what was really going on? 

She shook her head. 

"I... I don't get it," she admitted. "So, Christian is your step-brother... But... why-" 

"Why did I attack him?" Edge concluded for her. His green gaze was sharp as he fixed it on her. He honestly didn't know why he was telling her all of this. It was really none of her business, even though he liked her a whole lot - and maybe even more than that. 

The redhead nodded. 

"It's a... long story," the tall blond man said, shaking his head. He raised a hand to rake his fingers through his long, golden hair and sighed. "A very long and very sordid one, and I highly doubt you would believe it even if I did tell you." 

"Try me." 

Edge turned his head to again meet her eyes, and he swallowed hard at the expression that was now present on her face. Her hazel gaze looked to be one filled with nothing but confusion, and, more importantly, concern. And he knew this concern was directed at him. Nervously, he licked his lips before speaking, hoping that somehow, she would believe the story. 

"Okay, okay," he said resignedly, gazing into her eyes as best he could in the darkness of the car. He turned his head to stare out of the windshield for a beat, letting out a sigh as he began to explain. "Like I said, it's a really long story. It goes all the way back to our childhood." 

Lita sat still, her eyes unblinking as she held her breath in anticipation. 

"My step-brother and I used to be the best of friends once upon a time... And not only that. We were more like real brothers from the time we were kids." Edge smiled ever so slightly at the memory. "We became best friends right away when my mom started dating his dad... And then, when they got married... It was great." 

The redhead perked up slightly, turning around a bit in the passenger's seat so as to better focus on the blond man as he spoke. 

"The truth is," he went on, his gaze again leaving her briefly, "Christian and I had some differences. While he always had both his parents in his life, my father was never around. He... he walked out on my mom when she was pregnant with me." 

Lita felt badly hearing that bit of news, but she didn't dare utter a sound as she knew he would continue immediately. 

"But even though I never knew him all my life, he still left me an inheritance..." 

The redhead's brows rose in question, but she allowed him to proceed and explain. 

"... I guess he felt guilty for basically being nothing but a sperm donor," Edge said. "A year and a half ago, my mother called me over to her house... She sat me down and said she had something very important to tell me." He ran his hand through his long blond hair again and continued. "She told me my birth father had been killed in a drunk driving accident, that a lawyer had contacted her and told her he'd left me nearly his entire estate in his will..." 

The young woman's lips parted in slight comprehension. This was suddenly beginning to make sense, the pieces of the puzzle seemingly easily fit together. 

"I guess he felt... guilty," she surmised, and the man nodded. 

"Yeah, I would say so," he said. "It turned out that he had quite a lot of money, and he left the majority of it to his son - me." He glanced back at her, knowing this portion of the story was the believable part of it. "Christian said he was sorry because my father was dead and I'd never known him..." He shook his head. "... but that wasn't all. I was going to do something with the money... I was going to give a good portion of it to different charities - mostly benefitting kids and animals." 

Despite the seriousness and direness of his tale, Lita felt a small smile touching her lips. She'd seen earlier in the evening that the blond man obviously loved animals due to his interaction with Cody, but it was even more sweet to see he loved children as well. 

"That was when all hell broke loose," he continued. Edge fixed his emerald eyes on her face, a myriad of emotions evident in his expression as he went on. "Dawn Marie and I were living together... We'd been seeing each other for over two years - and then one morning I awoke to find her gone." 

"Gone?" 

Edge nodded. 

"That's right... She'd taken most of her stuff and just upped and left during the night, apparently. But that wasn't all that happened." He shook his head again, then explained. "My checkbook, my credit cards... everything was gone along with her." 

The redhead gasped with shock and horror. Was he saying what she feared he was saying? But it couldn't be... She loved Dawn Marie; the brunette was one of her closest friends. 

"The first thing I did when I saw what she'd done was call Christian." He glanced down at the dashboard, saddened by the memory. "He never answered his phone, and the machine didn't even pick up. So I rushed over there to get him - I figured he'd bend over backwards to help me... But when I got to his house, I found a note taped to the door." 

Lita frowned, sensing what the contents of said note could have possibly been. In any case, she knew it hadn't been anything good. 

"He laughed at me. Called me a stupid son of a bitch," the tall blond man scoffed. "Said he got my girl, and now he had my money as well." He shifted his gaze back up to meet the redhead's hazel eyes. "So, in a nutshell, that's what happened - Christian and Dawn Marie were screwing around behind my back... They schemed together after my father died and left me his fortune, and robbed me blind. And they'd been on the run for a good eight months before I lost track of them." He shook his head. "They didn't give me enough credit," he said, his handsome face filled with anger. "I found them eventually, after they'd been settled here for some time." His hands clenched into fists. "So you see now why I did what I did..." 

Lita nodded, her face filled with sadness for the blond man. It was horrible. The two people he'd seemingly trusted more than just about anyone else had robbed him blind, taken awful advantage of him... Left him with nothing. 

The blond man's expression was full of sorrow and regret. "I don't expect you to believe me-" 

The redheaded woman shifted over slightly, reaching out with one finger which she placed on his lips, silencing him. Her eyes were gentle as she gazed into his. Her face seemed to be filled with sympathy, compassion, and... and something else he couldn't quite detect. 

"I do believe you," she whispered. "And what they did to you was horrible." 

Edge nodded as he kept his gaze fixed to hers. 

"I'm sorry," she breathed. "I'm sorry they did that to you, but more importantly, I'm sorry I didn't trust you." They gazed at one another in silence for another moment until Lita edged closer, closing the distance between them as she sealed her warm lips over his in a kiss. 

Part 18 

Back 


	18. Chapter 18

Edge let out a soft moan as he kissed Lita back, his hands going up to tangle into her soft red hair. And then he lowered one hand down the side of her body, marveling in the softness of the skin of her shoulder and arm. 

It felt as though this were all nothing more than a dream. Had he really just told her as much as he had about his life? Was he really sitting here in his car, kissing this beautiful woman? 

She pulled back just enough to break the kiss, her eyes fixing on his in the darkness. Her breathing was just as heavy as his was, her breath warm against his face. Damn, she tasted sweet. 

"Come back to my place tonight..." the redhead whispered. She cocked her head as she kept her eyes on his. "Stay with me tonight." 

Edge felt his heart doing little flip-flops at the desire laced through her voice, nearly breathless by her kiss. He was definitely getting in over his head here, because one thing was certain - he was falling in love with Lita. 

The tall blond man closed the mere inch of distance between them and captured her lips for another searing kiss. Her tongue came into play instantly, causing him to cry out in her mouth. The passion just out of their kisses was so intense, it had him nearly overwhelmed. 

Finally, breaking the kiss, his breathing still heavy, he turned back to face forward, flipping the key in the ignition. He could feel her gaze still on him as he pressed his foot on the accelerator, zipping forward in the night - heading back to her house. 

The ride took a mere ten minutes, and the blond man was so full of anticipation, he could taste it. The redhead's gaze was still on him, her hazel eyes gentle as he pulled the car just into her driveway, then put it in park. 

Edge hurried out of the vehicle, going around to the other side and opening the passenger's side door to show the young woman some chivalry. She took hold of his hand, offering him a small smile as she allowed him to help her out of the car. And the moment she was out, he pulled her into his embrace, dipping his head to kiss her again. 

Quickly, she pulled back, breaking the kiss and reaching down, grabbing his hand. She gazed up into his face, biting her lip gently as she started the small trek up the walk to her house. As though mesmerized, the blond man followed, his heart thumping in the anticipation of what he knew would happen once they were inside. 

Even Cody's barking couldn't startle him away from the situation. As they entered the house, the redhead dropping her purse on the small table just beyond the front door in the tiny hallway, the dog bounded up to them, surprisingly calm. The blond man patted the doberman on the head for a beat before looking back up at the beautiful redhead. Her hazel eyes were full of desire and yearning as she gazed up at him. 

"Come with me." 

She eased away from him, a tiny smile touching her lovely lips as she backed away down the hallway. She knew her little place like the back of her hand, every niche, crook and cranny and expertly weaved her way through to her bedroom. 

She ushered him inside, the blond man silent as he entered the room. Cody, who was right behind him, peered up at her with soulful brown eyes, a whimper escaping the dog as she closed the door behind herself. Call her ridiculous, but she felt funny with her pet in the room during such a time. 

Lita turned around then, realizing the tall blond was directly behind her, his green gaze fixed to her face longingly. He cocked his head as he drank her in, his hands coming up to cup her face. 

She craned her neck a bit to meet him halfway, her lips instantly parting to allow his tongue entrance into her mouth as they kissed. She moaned softly as his tongue tangled with her own, dizzying her with the extent of passion between them. God, she felt as though she were drowning, but in a good and beautiful way. 

"Adam..." she breathed against his face. "... Oh, God." 

He opened his eyes as he nuzzled her, somewhat surprised at her usage of his real name. It was the first time she'd used it. But it was a nice feeling, and lord knew, she now already knew his story, so why shouldn't she refer to him by it? He moved his face just enough to reclaim her lips again, his hands coming down to roam over her firm, yet soft in all the right places, and very curvy body. 

She sighed against his mouth, her heart nearly stopping at the sensations running through her. What was it about this man? Sure, they'd had an almost magnetic mutual attraction from the very start, but she knew there was much, much more to it than that. She was falling in love with this man. 

Lita felt his hands on her shoulders, toying with the spaghetti straps of her red slinky dress, and a chill thrilled through her as she slid her own hands up, through his trenchcoat. He moved just enough so that he was able to shrug out of the garment, and in an instant, her small hands were at his shirt, toying with the buttons. She raised her gaze to his, their eyes locked as she unbuttoned the shirt, her lips parting ever so slightly in delicious anticipation. 

With Edge's shirt off, the blond man reached back, pulling at the zipper on the back of the redhead's dress. At the same time, her hands danced over the skin of his stomach, causing his abs to jump slightly, and she smiled at the motion. Then, slowly, she slid her hands lower, to the button and zipper of his slacks. She held her breath as she raised her gaze back up to his emerald eyes, his aroused state not at all lost on her. In an instant, the pants were down, as was her dress, and he kicked out of his shoes as she stepped away from her own garment. 

His green eyes stared up and down her body appreciatively, his tongue coming out to gently lick his lips as he drank her in. Meanwhile, his erection grew fuller and harder in his boxers, causing the front of them to tent. The redhead's gaze dropped to that area, and her tongue came out to moisten her lips as she reached down and fondled him. 

A long sigh left his lips as he felt her hand on him, his eyes closing as he pulled her flush against him, lowering his head to press his lips to hers, and this time, their kiss was even more demanding and ardent than before. He yanked at her bra, his fingers finding the front clasp between her breasts and pulling at it, freeing the soft flesh cased within. He heard her gasp as his fingers caressed her, then quickly lowered to the waistband of her bikini panties. 

In seconds, they were out of their remaining undergarments, and the blond man lifted her up in his arms, his lips consuming hers as they pressed skin-to-skin. Lita cried out against him as she clasped her legs around his narrow waist, and she felt him reach down, his hand between them, and he gripped himself, working himself into her. 

"Adam... Oh, God, Adam..." she breathed, a moan bubbling its way up past her lips as he lowered them, still inside of her, laying her on her back on the foot of the bed. Then, he began their lovemaking with slow, easy thrusts, waiting for her to adjust to his size. It didn't take long, and soon, she was begging him to go faster. 

"Sweet Christ," Edge swore, his breathing fast and heavy as he slammed in and out of her. She felt so amazing - so wet and tight and slippery - and he felt he could just about die at how very good it felt to be inside of her. 

She reached up for him, pulling his blond head down to her, capturing his lips in yet another demanding and searing kiss. As it broke, she let out a sharp cry as the orgasm hit her, knocking the breath from her body as she spasmed and clenched around him. 

The tall blond man growled at the sensations. She was amazing. He felt himself spiraling over as well, a moan slipping past his lips, followed by her name as he emptied into her. 

Afterward, he pulled out of her, sliding onto the bed and beside her, his arms banding securely around her waist, holding her against him. He gazed down into her lovely face, which was beaded with perspiration, and placed a gentle, affectionate kiss on her lips. Despite the turmoil his life had been in over the last couple of years, he felt truly good... and safe. 

Part 19 

Back 


	19. Chapter 19

Lita's eyes fluttered open slowly that next morning as she came awake. Instantly, she was aware of the pair of strong arms wrapped around her - one under her and clasped around her waist, the other higher, a large, warm hand on her breast. 

She smiled as she snuggled back against the blond man, whom she could tell was still asleep. It was such a nice feeling, awaking in his strong arms. Then, after a few minutes, she turned around as slightly as she could manage, as she didn't want to wake him. 

However, when she turned around, coming face-to-face with Edge, she discovered he was, at least now, indeed awake. 

"Hi," he said softly, a small smile touching his full lips. His sleepy green eyes were shining as they fixed on her hazel. In fact, his gaze was so intense, the redhead felt a chill race up her spine. Had she not been under the blanket and in the man's embrace, she probably would have shivered. 

"Hi yourself," she said, her gaze tender as she locked eyes with him. She smiled, loving the way she was feeling just looking at him. "You sleep okay?" 

"I slept great," Edge replied, one of his hands coming up to press gently against her cheek. He marveled at the softness of her skin as he stroked it, then slid his hand slightly to her hair, his long fingers gently brushing through the silky red locks. "A lot better than I have in months, to tell the truth." 

Lita's breath caught in her throat, her gaze still on his beautiful green eyes as he spoke and caressed her. She swore she could lose herself in those foresty depths. And then, melting her even further, the blond man gently tugged her closer, his lips soft yet demanding as they met hers, his tongue hot and wonderful as it tangled with hers. The kiss went on and on, so long and full of passion and feeling that she felt dizzy - not to mention highly aroused. 

She gasped slightly as he broke the kiss, and she was thoroughly aware of his erection throbbing against her belly. He chuckled at her obvious reaction, amused, his eyes merry as he watched her face. 

"He's saying 'good morning,' too," he said, still chuckling. 

The redhead giggled as she glanced down his body, then back up to meet his eyes again. She reached up, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulled him against her for another kiss, full of excitement and intensity. As she grew more forceful, her tongue plunging deeply into his mouth, her right hand snaked down his body, finding him, working him to full rock-hardness. 

"God, Lita..." he breathed, a groan escaping him at the sensation of her touching him. She excited him so much. And after last night, he knew he would never be able to quench his thirst for her. The only thing that would do that was more - more of her. 

Letting out a growl, Edge gripped her tightly around the waist, flipping her over so that she was on her back, and he straddled her nude body with his own, leaning down to capture her lips again. He moaned in her mouth as the kiss deepened, feeling her small hand again on his swollen member. God, she was hardly doing anything, but her just touching him drove him wild. 

Breaking the kiss, he spread her long, shapely legs, gazing down into her face with desire. She gazed up at him with want equal to that of his own, her hazel eyes reduced to near slits, her breathing heavy. He reached down, gripping himself as he slid his tip just into her. He teased, tantalized like this for a moment before thrusting fully into her, and she let out an exclamation of satisfaction as she felt his entirety. 

Lita reached up with both hands, cupping the blond man's face and pulling him down to her for yet another searing kiss. Her tongue was soft, but alternately firm and very demanding as she explored every crevice of his mouth. And by God, she drove him wild. 

She was soon crying out softly, meeting him with upward motions of her own, her breath coming in even faster. She'd never had it like this before, never had a better lover than him. He was... perfect. 

Before long, she was crying out his name in utmost pleasure, her legs clasped even more tightly around his waist as she tried desperately to contain him as deeply as possible inside of her. He smiled at her ecstasy, loving that he'd brought her to that place, and let out a growl as he felt his own orgasm hit. 

"Lita!" he cried. "Good, God, Lita..." He lowered his head as he came, gently biting into her shoulder as he emptied himself into her. If anything, this was even better than it had been last night. 

After a few minutes, the redhead lay there in the warm circle of his arms, her head resting on his shoulder, a look of peace on her beautiful features. Edge felt an incredible sense of peace himself, just watching her. 

"Can I ask you a question?" 

"Hmm? Sure," he replied. 

She turned her head just enough to meet his emerald eyes. 

"I'm really just curious," she said softly. "How much money did Christian and Dawn Marie steal from you?" 

The blond man sighed. 

"Little more than three million," he admitted sadly. 

"Oh, my... Wow," she simply said. She was silent as she was thoughtful for long moments, and the Canadian wondered what was going on through her head. Then, "Well... I don't have to be at work until the afternoon today. So, it looks like I have a few free hours to kill." She smiled at him sort of slyly, and he arched a brow in amusement. 

"Well, we'll have to figure out what to do with all this time we've got, won't we?" A grin came to his handsome face as he turned slightly to meet her approaching lips. 

"Come on, Trish! Take the rest of my shift!" 

Trish Stratus snorted audibly as she weaved around the tables, clearing away dishes and utensils, and she wished she could just get away from Torrie. The tall blonde was annoying her to no end, and she just wanted to get her work done so she could leave. 

"Oh, c'mon!" the platinum blonde waitress begged. "I'd do it for you! I have to be somewhere tonight." 

The shorter woman spun on her heel, facing her. 

"Well, so do I," she reminded her. "I have class, remember?" 

"Eww... Why can't you just cut?" Torrie suggested rudely. 

"I'm not gonna cut," Trish snapped. "I care about school, and I'm going so I can make a better life for myself." 

Torrie rolled her blue eyes, annoyance beginning to take over due to the other woman's refusal to help her out. 

"Come on - be a pal." 

"No!" the petite blonde said in a loud whisper. Her brown eyes were full of unhidden anger as she turned back to the other waitress. "We're not even friends, but that's not even the point." 

"What do you mean?" 

Trish scoffed as she practically spat the words out. 

"I'm not gonna take over your shift and miss my classes just so you can go stripping for some horny jerks across town." 

Torrie's blue eyes widened in shock for a split second before they grew furious. Instead of replying immediately, she followed the other woman into the kitchen, where Trish deposited the dirty dishes and utensils into the sink. 

"You better take that back, you bitch!" the tall blonde hissed, and Chris Jericho, over by the stove, turned sharply toward the two women. What in hell was going on here? 

"No!" Trish shouted, shaking her head vehemently. "I won't, because we both know it's true!" 

"Ha!" Torrie snapped. "You're really one to talk, Trish - when meanwhile, you are the one who was stripping a few years back." 

The short blonde froze in her tracks, her brown eyes widening at her co-worker's words. She couldn't speak, couldn't even move. All she could do was wonder how in hell the other woman had found out... 

Torrie smiled with triumph, her blue eyes glittering cruelly. 

"And that's not all you did, either," she said, shaking her head. "And everyone has the nerve to call me a whore! You, Trishy dear, are the biggest whore this town has ever seen!" 

"Shut up!" Jericho suddenly shouted at the tall blonde, shock giving way for rage as he suddenly noticed Trish's shoulders shaking with sudden sobs. 

"Oh, please!" the woman shouted. "You insist on defending a worthless slut who used to prostitute herself? How pathetic..." 

Trish stood still for another few seconds, the tears streaming down her cheeks as she absorbed all of Torrie's words, then something inside of her seemed to break and snap. 

"I hate you!" The little blonde hurled herself at the taller woman, taking her down with a spear and punching her in the face. Torrie let out a short squeal that was cut short by Trish's fist to her jaw. 

Chris shouted as he dropped the spatula he'd been holding, ignoring the food he'd been cooking at the stove to run over to the two women. He stooped over to grab Trish, pulling her off of Torrie and holding her up. And damn it, she was literally shaking with rage. 

"It's okay, sweetheart," he said soothingly, running his free hand down her blonde hair to smooth it. "Don't listen to her. You're so much better than that." 

Trish looked from his kind and compassionate blue eyes to Torrie, her brown eyes again filling with rage as she glared at the tall woman, who'd just stood up and was now straightening out her uniform. 

"If you ever... throw my past in my face again, I'll make you regret ever being born..." she hissed in a low tone. 

Torrie flinched slightly, fear flickering in her blue eyes. Instead of responding, she shook her head, then turned and fled the kitchen without a word. 

The second the platinum blonde was gone, Trish broke into tears again, her entire petite body shaking with the extent of them. Chris held her close, tightly in his arms as he tried his best to calm her. He ran one hand gently over her long blonde hair and down her back, rocking her slightly against him. 

"Shh... It's okay, sweetie. I promise, it's okay." 

Part 20 

Back 


	20. Chapter 20

A soft smile touched Lita's lips as they made their way from his car and to the diner. Edge's arm was securely around her waist as he led her into the establishment. Never had her trip to work been more pleasant than it was this afternoon.

And then, the moment they entered The Stop, she heard the shouting - it was coming from the kitchen.

The redhead stopped, looking up at Edge, the tall blond man's brow arching up in confusion. To her ears, it sounded as though Trish was yelling at someone - and then, a beat later, Torrie Wilson was storming through the double swinging doors, a mask of fury on her face.

Lita and Edge stood there, their gazes fixed on the tall blonde woman as she marched across the floor. Then, she suddenly stopped as she caught their stares in her peripheral vision.

Torrie made a face of vast displeasure as she eyed them back.

"What are you two looking at?!" she cried. She turned sharply on her heel, quickly busying herself with the task of cleaning up one of the tables in her station, and Lita shrugged.

"Something tells me she didn't win that fight." She eyed the Canadian again, his handsome face now donning an amused look.

Edge shook his head. He wasn't a nosy person at heart, but he couldn't help but wonder what the woman had done to upset her co-worker.

"Anyhow," the redhead said, turning to fully face him, "I'd better get to work. I'll see you later."

"I'll be around for awhile," he told her, reaching out to grasp her small hand in his much larger one. He twined his fingers with hers, his green eyes soft as he drank in her beauty. "I'm gonna grab myself-"

"A BLT and a cup of coffee?" she surmised, a teasing smile on her face.

He grinned at her. She was absolutely adorable. It was no wonder she'd managed to capture his heart.

"You know me so very well," he told her.

Edge laughed softly as well, then dipped his head to hers, pulling her even closer as he pressed his lips onto hers. He kissed her long and lingeringly, his tongue darting out for a brief few seconds, his free hand coming up to caress her hair. Then, reluctantly, he broke the kiss, offering her a soft smile as he slid into what he knew to be one of her booths.

"You go on to work," he said softly. "I'll be right here, waiting." He smiled sweetly up at her, complete adoration etched on his handsome face. But before she could step away, he took hold of her hand again, raising it to his lips and pressing a kiss to the back of it.

Lita giggled, then reluctantly took her hand out of his, turning to head into the kitchen. As she turned, she was met by the cold, hard blue glare of Torrie. Evidently, the tall blonde had witnessed the entire exchange between Edge and herself and was not taking amusement from it.

She continued on her way to the kitchen, pointedly ignoring the other waitress. She really had no interest in allowing Torrie to dampen her mood, or humoring her into another fight. However, she thought she overheard a few softly muttered choice words as she passed by the blonde woman.

The redhead sighed as she pushed through one of the swinging doors and stepped into the kitchen. She stopped short at what she saw... Trish was in tears, crying as though her heart had broken, her sobs harsh although fairly quiet, shaking her small body with their force. Chris was holding her tightly against him, stroking her long blonde hair and doing his best to soothe her. He was also speaking softly to her, and how very much he truly cared about her was more than obvious.

"Um... excuse me," she said. She felt badly for intruding, but she had no choice.

The two blonds looked up, Trish appearing slightly embarrassed as she pulled out of the chef's embrace and carefully wiped at her eyes. She straightened her slightly mussed hair, and Lita guessed it had gotten messy in a scuffle with Torrie - same as the other woman's hair had been. Then, the little blonde undid the apron she had tied around her waist, tossing it into a small hamper in one corner of the room.

"H-hi, Li," she said, offering her friend a forced smile. Before the redheaded woman could respond, she turned back to Jericho. "Thanks, Chris... Thank you for being so sweet, and... for being here for me."

"No, no..." the man said, raising both hands in a surrender-type gesture. "... Don't do that. There nothing to thank me for, sweetie."

Trish winced slightly, somewhat choked up at his kindness. Not for the first time, she noticed how very handsome he was. Fighting back against further tears, she gave him a tiny, though genuine, smile.

"I'll see you tomorrow." She turned to exit the kitchen, opting to change out of her uniform later, as she was heading home before going to her class that night. "You too, Lita," she added as she walked out. She cast one last, lingering glance over her shoulder at Chris before she pushed through the doors and left.

"Bye, Trish."

Once Trish was finally gone, the redhead turned slowly back to the blond man, questions swirling through her head.

"What just happened here?" 

Part 21

Back


	21. Chapter 21

Lita eyed Chris with anticipation, though she pretty much could figure out at least part of what had happened. Whatever the case, she knew it had everything to do with Torrie.

The chef shook his head with an equal mix of dismay and sorrow. His blue eyes narrowed as he answered.

"Torrie upset Trish," he said. "That miserable, God damned bitch."

The redhead sighed as she reached for an apron to put on over her uniform.

"I guessed as much. But why was she crying? I mean, Trish is tough - she wouldn't normally end up in tears over anything she'd say or do."

"No, no," Jericho said. "You don't understand. She brought up something from her past." He got a sad, faraway look in his blue eyes. "I'm afraid it was something really, really bad that Trish just wanted to keep buried."

Lita's hazel eyes shone with recognition, her breath catching in her throat.

"Oh, God," she breathed. "That's awful... She... Torrie must have found out somehow. She-"

"Did I just hear my name?"

They both looked up sharply at the sound of the platinum blonde's voice. Lita guessed the woman must have been coming and had heard them through the doors - and then tried her best to "surprise" them.

"Nope," Chris answered evenly, but he openly glared at the bitch. "You must be hearing things."

"Oh, I'm hearing things, all right," Torrie snapped in response. "Those things being your mouth-" She shifted her furious blue eyes to the redhead. "-and hers."

"How dare you..." Lita spat, not in the least intimidated by the taller woman. "... You have really got one helluva nerve. I don't know how you found out about Trish's past, but you sure as hell are the epitome of 'people in glass houses'!"

The blonde waitress shouldered past Jericho to drop the dishes she'd been holding into the sink, then crept her way closer to the other woman. A scowl came to her face as she met Lita's angry hazel gaze.

"You wanna start something with me, whore?" She raised her hand in a seemingly 'come on' gesture.

"Oh, something's already been started, Torrie... And as for calling me a whore..." She gave a chilly laugh. "... I think we both know who spends the majority of her time on her back - or on all fours - for just about any many in town."

The blonde was seething. Jericho stood by wordlessly, as though transfixed by the scene unfolding right before his eyes. Actually, he couldn't quite rid his mind of thoughts of Trish.

"Is that so?" the tall blonde said. "And I suppose you didn't spread your legs for that creepy blond guy who's always here? I bet you fucked that Christian guy, too... and-" She pointed directly at Chris. "-and him!"

The redhead laughed. Torrie truly was pitiful... and Lita had so many more important and better things to do than stand here and trade insults with this skank.

"Torrie," she said evenly, her gaze never once wavering from the woman's wide blue eyes, "you're pathetic. Now, if you don't mind, I have better things to do than deal with the likes of you all day." Lita turned to head to the back room to change into her uniform, but she didn't get too far. She let out a short yelp - Jericho yelling as well - as she felt a pair of hands gripping her long hair from behind.

"Oh, no you don't!" Torrie shouted, twisting her around. She flailed out her left hand, connecting the slap solidly to the redhead's cheek. Lita cried out in pain and anger, her hazel eyes blazing as she was finally pushed well past her limit.

"God damn it!" Chris yelled, his shouts ignored as the redhead suddenly knocked Torrie to the floor. The two women tangled for a crazy moment before Lita got the definite upper hand and started punching the blonde in the side of the head. And then, Torrie screamed, rolling them over, and suddenly there were two new voices joining theirs.

"What in hell is going on around here?!" Stephanie McMahon shouted. The manager's eyes were wide with shock and outrage. And then, with further shock, she stared at the man who had barged right into the kitchen. The tall blond grabbed Torrie, hefting her up and off of Lita, giving her a slight shove as he set her upright. A split second after, he knelt at the redhead's side, full of caring tenderness as he examined her and asked if she was all right.

Lita nodded, grateful toward Edge. He was so kind, caring and sweet.

"All right, I've had it," Stephanie resumed, momentarily forgetting about the tall blond man. She fixed her angry gaze solely on Torrie. "Get your stuff and get out of here - you're fired!"

Part 22

Back


	22. Chapter 22

Dawn Marie stopped just before the diner's parking lot and glanced at her watch. There were still a few more minutes remaining before her shift was to officially start. She decided to stand out here and just wait. 

The brunette leaned against the side of the building, uneasy thoughts running through her head. Sighing, she rummaged through her purse and pulled out a cigarette as well as a lighter. Placing the cigarette between her lips, she raised the lighter and lit it, then took a deep drag before exhaling the smoke. 

God, that felt good... While it was unfortunate that she'd recently taken up smoking again - a habit she'd abandoned several years earlier - she couldn't help it. Lord knew, she was so overly stressed these days - especially now. She still had trouble believing he'd finally caught up to them. 

Dawn continued smoking her cigarette with utmost pleasure when she was suddenly startled. The sound of a female voice muttering unhappily struck her ears, and she looked up to see Torrie Wilson emerging from the restaurant. The tall platinum blonde looked unhappy, to say the least. She seemed completely unaware of Dawn's presence as she turned back toward the building and let out an enraged snarl. 

"Screw you! Screw you all!" 

The brunette arched an eyebrow as Torrie then scurried off to her car in the nearby street. She wondered exactly what had happened but guessed it had everything to do with the blonde woman finally getting fired. 

Soon after, finished with her cigarette, Dawn Marie shrugged. She tossed the butt of her smoke to the ground and smashed it with the toe of her heeled shoe, then walked calmly into The Stop. 

Lita's guard instantly shot up about five hundred notches as she suddenly realized who had just entered the establishment. It was strange that, once upon a time - and not long ago at all - she had considered the woman one of her very closest friends. Funny how things change so quickly. Now, as far as she was concerned, Dawn Marie was nothing but the enemy. How could she screw Edge over like that? She and Christian! If a person couldn't trust their significant other and their own brother, then who could they trust? 

The redhead moved swiftly around the tables at her stationed area. She wanted to just ignore the brunette, but somehow she sensed that would be an impossibility. Dawn would, more likely than not, act as though everything were the same as it had been a few days ago - play oblivious. She wondered what the woman's reaction would be once Adam returned from the men's room and she saw him. There would be no escaping, that much was for sure. 

All the fine hairs on the back of Lita's neck stood on end. While she would much prefer to just ignore Dawn, she sensed a confrontation between them was inevitable. But whatever were to happen, the brunette had it coming! 

"Lita..." 

There, that was it. She didn't look up as Dawn Marie spoke her name, instead pretending as though she were so immersed in the dishes she toted that she hadn't even heard her. Lita strode to the double swinging doors leading into the kitchen, her breath held and her shoulders straight. Chris gave her a speculative look as she edged over to the sink. 

"Uh oh... What's wrong now?" the blond man questioned. Somehow, he didn't think she was still miffed about what had happened with Torrie a few moments earlier. 

She shook her head but didn't bother to answer him. And that was when Dawn Marie pushed her way into the kitchen. 

"Hey, Chris... Lita." 

The cook uttered a greeting in response, but the redhead didn't say a word. Jericho arched a brow at her silence, wondering what was up. There was no reason for Lita to be pissed with him, so he had to assume she was angry with the brunette. 

Dawn gave her a strange, hurt look, but it went unnoticed. Then, grabbing an apron, the brunette whisked away to change into her uniform. 

"Hey, what was that all about?" 

Lita looked up and met Chris' blue eyes, a glum expression on her face. She definitely didn't feel up to explaining it all now - not to mention, it really was none of his business. She was about to step away as Dawn Marie reappeared. 

"Lita, are... are you mad at me or something?" she asked, hurt brown eyes gazing up at her. 

The redhead grimaced, her blood positively boiling. The memory of the hurt in Adam's green eyes when he'd told her, the slight quaver in his voice, all came back to her... and it made her want to kill the bitch. 

"Mad at you?" the redhead echoed. "Am I mad at you?" A vein throbbed in Lita's temple as she glared at the brunette. "You God damned bitch! You lied to me! How could you do that to him!" 

In an instant, Dawn's eyes widened in shock and fear. What was Lita talking about? It sounded as though... No... Fear coursed through her as she realized just how angry the redhead was. Lita was bigger than her and could certainly hurt her if she really wanted to. And besides, Dawn Marie was no fighter! 

"Lita, I-I..." Her words were cut short as the other woman pulled back her arm and decked her squarely in the jaw. Dawn staggered backward, falling on her butt to the floor from the impact. As she clutched her aching face, she stared up at her once friend, tears swimming in her eyes. And it was then that she knew for certain that Lita knew exactly what she had done.


	23. Chapter 23

Edge had just returned from the men's room to see Lita emerge from the kitchen. To his eyes, the redhead looked none too happy as she stormed out. 

The tall blond man frowned as he approached her. He wondered what was up, to say the least. 

"What is it? What happened?" 

The redhead shook her head, fury still consuming her. If she told him, how exactly would he react? A great injustice had been done against him, so she knew he wouldn't be sorry. But since he'd been trying to track them down for so long, he might want to try something - maybe go into the kitchen and get in her face, at least. 

"Dawn Marie," Lita blurted, her mind made up - although she was now acting pretty much on impulse more than anything else. "She's here - in there," she added, hooking a thumb over her shoulder in the direction of the kitchen from which she'd just come. "I gave her the cold shoulder, she noticed and questioned me, and then..." 

The tall blond man arched a brow. He knew where she was going with this, but he voiced it regardless. 

"Then...?" 

"I decked her." 

Edge didn't look at all surprised, although inwardly, he was. The redhead was tough - that much he'd known ever since that night in the dark alley when he'd grabbed her - but he'd never taken her for a fighter, a brawler. 

"Wow... you did that?" 

"I did it," she admitted with a nod. "And I did it for you." She kept her voice at a low tone. 

The blond man was touched. He hadn't really been sure she truly cared for him that much. He supposed it was all just due to his nagging insecurities. Those, of course, had developed as a result of the hurt he'd been dealt after Dawn Marie's betrayal. 

"Miss," a man at a nearby table said, gesturing to her, "can I get some service over here?" 

The redhead nodded, her lips pursing. That was one of Dawn Marie's table - not one of hers. 

The waitress will be out in a minute." Inwardly, as she met Edge's gaze again, she thought, 'Unless I really did her in with that punch!' She scoffed to herself. 

It was just about at that precise time that Dawn Marie, one hand rubbing at her jaw, a wince still on her face, left the kitchen. The brunette somehow seemed completely unaware of Edge's presence as she moved around the counter to go over to her table. 

"Can I take your order?" 

Before the man waiting for service could respond, the tall blond man finally made certain the brunette knew he was there. 

"Hello, Dawn Marie." 

A wild look came into Dawn's brown eyes. Her mouth ran bone-dry as she stared up into the face of her one-time boyfriend - the very man that she had turned on and had deceived. She hadn't wanted to do it, not really. But she couldn't help that she'd fallen head over heels in love with his step-brother. 

She opened her mouth to speak, but no words were forthcoming. Furthermore, it felt as though her feet were mired in mud, as she couldn't budge from the spot upon which she stood. 

"What's wrong, Dawnie?" Lita said as she turned her focus to the other woman. "Cat got your tongue?" She exchanged quick glances with Edge. 


	24. Chapter 24

Dawn Marie cowered back, her gaze seemingly riveted to the bright emerald green eyes of her former boyfriend.

"Where is Christian?" Edge demanded for the third straight time. He was burning with anger but tried to reign it in for the sake of Lita and this diner.

The redhead stood by with her hand to her hip, her hazel eyes boring into the brunette as she glared at her. She noticed Dawn Marie squirming and felt glad for it. After all the hell she and her husband had put Adam through, she deserved to be made to feel like the victim.

"Do you really want me to answer his question, Dawn?" she snapped. She wasn't certain that Christian was still at Lincoln Memorial Hospital, but if he was, then damn it, Edge was going to find him there.

Dawn Marie's brown eyes were wide as she looked at the redhead. They darted back and forth from one of them to the other.

The man who'd been waiting at Dawn's table had gotten up and left. Whether because he was fed up or scared, or both, Lita didn't know. And quite frankly, at the moment, she didn't care.

"Is there a problem here?" a new female voice asked. It belonged to Stephanie McMahon, the manager looking none too happy as she stared from Dawn Marie to Lita to the blond man who'd appeared in the kitchen earlier.

Lita glanced quickly over at Edge. She definitely didn't want there to be any trouble here - and certainly not for him. He'd already been through more than enough.

"No, Stephanie," she replied when no one else would. "Everything is just fine."

Although the brunette didn't look convinced, she nodded.

"All right... In that case, you ladies better get back to work on the double."

Lita nodded as she started to straighten out the apron she wore over her uniform.

Despite the situation and the uneasiness that now hung thickly in the air, Adam was reluctant to leave. At the same time, he didn't want to cause Lita to get in any trouble and possibly put her job in jeopardy. Lord knew, there had already been problems for the redhead earlier, thanks to Torrie Wilson.

"I'll see you later," he said, his gaze fixed fondly on Lita. He wanted in the worst way to give her a kiss, but it didn't feel right to do so in front of her boss.

She nodded.

"I'll call you later," she promised. Her heart was in her eyes as she watched him make his way for the door. The tall blond man gazed back at her once from over his shoulder before stepping out - and the redhead felt her heart melting. How could Dawn Marie have ever hardened her own heart against such a man so as to do what she'd done?

Once Adam had left, Lita turned back to where the other waitress had been, her eyes narrowing. Not surprisingly, Dawn had already disappeared.


	25. Chapter 25

Dawn Marie was shaking as she left the diner for her 'dinner' break. She had to get out of there and couldn't leave any faster.

She'd noticed the look of hatred Lita had directed at her when the redhead had gone into the kitchen, when she'd been getting ready to leave. The brunette had been removing her apron, and Lita had entered to let Chris know of an order. Their eyes had met, although Dawn had wanted nothing more than to avoid. Catching a glimpse of the scorn in those hazel orbs really bothered her, even hurt.

Once in her car, the door locked, she fumbled in her purse for a cigarette and her lighter, her hands shaking the entire time. God, this was such a mess... And this was going to end up being the death of her. But she couldn't help having taken up smoking again - not after all of this.

With the now lit cigarette in her left hand, the brunette reached back into her purse for her cell phone. She pressed one on her speed dial and held the device to her ear, praying she wouldn't break down. After two rings, he answered.

"Hello, Dawn?"

Dawn Marie nearly collapsed at the sound of her husband's voice.

"Christian, everything is falling apart," she blurted. She was near hysteria as she elaborated. "Lita knows - I think she and Adam have been getting really close lately, and she knows... She attacked me!"

"Whoa..." the man replied on the other end. "... Slow down, honey."

Dawn Marie took a drag from her cigarette, her hand shaking as she let out some ashes in the ashtray.

"What are you talking about, attacked you?"

"Just as I said, Christian! She seemed to be avoiding me since I got here, and when I approached her about it, she hit me." Dawn winced at the memory, not to mention the stinging soreness she still felt in her jaw. "She mentioned him, too."

"She mentioned Edge's name?" her husband asked.

"Well, I... um, I don't remember if she actually said his name. But she did ask, 'How could you do that to him?' Who else could she have meant?" Dawn Marie cried, her voice by now frantic. "She knows!"

"Shit..." Christian muttered on the other end. "... Okay, okay - let's not panic. Let me figure something out. In the meantime, let's stay tough."

"Easier said than done!"

"Aww, come on, honey - you're a tough lady," the man said. "We're in this thing together till the end. Just sit tight, okay? We'll figure something out, I promise."

There was a brief pause as the brunette exhaled deeply. Then, Christian spoke again. "We'll take care of this - together. Even if we have to take both of them out."

* * *

Edge parked his car in the driveway, then quickly left the vehicle and made his way to the door.

She was sitting just outside, on the top step of the three small stairs leading to the front door. He smiled and sat down beside her.

"Hi."

"Hi yourself."

The redhead turned to fully face him, her arms going up to encircle his neck as he pulled her against him, his own arms tightening around her waist. He captured her lips with his own, and she kissed him back so ardently that a small, muffled moan escaped him.

Lita's hands went into his long blond hair, gently, tenderly stroking and caressing. It felt so very good to be kissing him, and in his arms again after the long day and night she'd had.

Afterward, the blond man raised his head and gazed into her hazel orbs in the darkness. He kept his arm wrapped securely around her waist as he spoke.

"You should've let me meet you at the diner... I would've picked you up."

She shook her head in protest, silencing him with one finger to his lips.

"I didn't want any trouble," she explained. "Stephanie was pretty peeved this afternoon. I don't want her to banish you from The Stop." She smiled softly. "I like having you there too much."

Adam smiled as well, his face nearing hers again. Her breath felt so deliciously warm against his face. God, he was falling so very hard for her - falling in love hard and quickly as well.

He closed the tiny distance between them and again sealed his lips over hers.


	26. Chapter 26

Edge awoke in the middle of the night, a feeling of contentment coming over him at the feel of her in his arms. It was a feeling he throughly loved, being here with her... Her soft, milky skin against him, her silky long hair tickling his cheek. He inhaled deeply, relishing the sweet scent that was all her, pure Lita...

... God help him, but he was madly in love with her. He hadn't felt this good in so long, and he didn't want this to end.

At the same time, he was saddened by a nagging in the back of his head. He'd loved deeply once before, given his heart and soul to another woman who had proclaimed her love for him - but who had betrayed him, plunged the figurative knife deep into his heart and twisted. Indeed, Dawn Marie had hung him out to dry, and in more ways than just one. Adam didn't know if he could take that again, didn't know if he had enough resolve to get through another situation akin to that.

However, when he gazed down at Lita's still sleeping form, all of those fears trickled away. The redhead was different... She was more different than any other woman he'd ever met, and she was special - special and amazing and wonderful and so much more than all of that. She had a hand-hold on his heart, for sure.

The blond man curled his arm more securely around the woman's warm form, and he lowered his head to her exposed shoulder, his lips gently kissing the smooth flesh. She was just so sweet toward him - and she'd been the first person to truly trust him in so long. Plus, she'd even gone so far as to defend his honor. It brought a smile to his lips as he recalled Lita telling him about punching out Dawn.

"Mmm..." The redhead stirred, beginning to stretch slightly, but she stopped as she realized what was happening. His blond head was still down, his lips moving up toward her neck, and she smiled softly, opening herself to his affection in spite of her sleepiness.

Edge groaned with pleasure as her arms wound around his neck, and she tugged him more firmly to her, urging him further. In seconds, he sought her warm lips, and he nearly collapsed at the feel of her responding, kissing him back with fervor.

Lita moaned, but it was muffled as she felt his tongue slip into her mouth, tangling with her own. She tightened her arms around his neck, tangling her hands into his soft long blond hair. They were both still naked after their lovemaking from the previous night, not having bothered putting anything on afterward. Her breathing quickened at the hardness of his erection throbbing against her. She wanted it again, wanted him inside of her.

The blond man knew just what she wanted as she squirmed slightly beneath him, and he smiled at her as he moved enough so as to allow her legs to spread beneath him. She was gazing up into his eyes with lustful anticipation, practically panting for him.

Leaning his head down to again kiss her hot, moist lips, he reached down with one hand to grip himself, and, slowly, he guided his way into her. He felt her body stiffen somewhat, and then she shifted a little, a pleasured sound escaping her lips as she adjusted to him.

"Oh, God..." she moaned, her clasped legs tightening more securely around his waist. He'd already began their lovemaking, and already she was close. She thought she could come just at the way he looked at her, so intensely, and with such emotion in those beautiful emerald-green eyes.

He seemed to read her mind as he quickened the pace, a groan of pleasure coming forth at the unbelievable sensation of being inside of her. God, she felt so good... And the way he felt about her, the emotions she invoked in him only made it that much better. He wanted to make her feel good, better than she'd ever experienced before.

His lips sought hers again, and he kissed her more passionately than he did before, his tongue demanding as he spiraled it around hers. She grabbed a handful of his long blond hair, her body arching slightly underneath him as she began to add her own upright thrusts to match his. And then, she pulled back, her head rolling back and forth on the pillow, cries of pleasure slipping past her lips.

Oh, yeah, she was there all right, caught up in the throes of her orgasm - and Adam couldn't have been happier. He didn't slow his thrusts down once, instead slamming even more quickly into her through it, intensifying her pleasure as he gazed down into her lovely face. That only made it so much better for himself, and he nearly lost his breath as he felt himself coming. A growl slipped past his lips as he released himself into her, and he lowered his head to her shoulder, his teeth gently nipping as the pleasure went on and on.

Afterward, he remained inside of her for several minutes, his gaze locked on her hazel eyes. He reveled in the sated look on her face, an incredible wave of tenderness washing over him. And then, he was struck by an urge - one he couldn't ignore nor deny.

"I... I love you."

The redhead gazed up into his eyes with surprise at his words, her lips slightly parted. Had she heard him correctly? She honestly wasn't too sure. But wow... Yes, she had. She was initially speechless, and then, she finally found her voice again as she reached up to pull his head down to hers.

"I love you, too."

Their lips met yet again, and this time the kiss was more tender and emotion-filled than ever.


	27. Chapter 27

Trish Stratus tentatively entered _The Stop_, fears flitting through her. After the incident - the fight - with that bitch Torrie the other day, she was scared.

The little blonde somehow managed to avoid the stares of the diners currently in the establishment. A couple of them were regulars here and had been around on that horrible day. What if Torrie had said too much? What if...?

Trish put her fears about the patrons on hold for the time being as she stepped past the double swinging doors leading into the kitchen. She sucked in a breath, terrified of having to deal with Chris Jericho... She'd always liked the chef, but... What if he ridiculed her? The bulk of the fight with Torrie had occurred in front of him.

However, Jericho had been so very sweet to her that day. He'd comforted her when she'd been crying, holding her in his strong arms and speaking soothing, sweet words - sweeter than any she'd ever heard from a man in far too long.

"Hey," the man said as she entered the kitchen. "How are you, Trish?"

The blonde grabbed an apron, managing to avoid eye contact with him. She wondered if he wondered what that Torrie bitch had meant when she'd made mention of her past - calling her a whore... Trish thought she could just about die if anyone else around here knew the truth.

"H-hi," she stammered. She turned her head halfway in his direction, giving him a crooked, nervous smile. "I'm okay." Quickly, she wandered off to the back room to change into her waitress uniform.

The moment she had the door shut and locked behind her, she closed her eyes tightly, feeling a sob begging to escape. Instead, she let out a deep sigh. She'd wanted to escape her past for the last four years now, which was why she'd attended college. She'd been doing a good job of it, too, until Torrie Wilson had made her cruel, catty comments that day.

Trish wondered how the bitch knew... For she hadn't breathed a word to anyone around here of her sordid past. She thought she could die if anyone in her present found out about her having been a paid escort.

"Honey, I'm still worried shitless," the woman said. To prove her point, she grabbed hold of his hand, letting him feel that it was as cold as ice.

"Dawnie, baby," Christian soothed his wife, "there is no need to be so scared." He leaned across the car's seat to press a kiss to the brunette's forehead. To his dismay, it too felt cool, but also clammy.

"I can't help it," Dawn Marie replied, her brow furrowed prettily. "I'm not so sure I can handle this... It's... Well, it's wrong."

The blond man smirked, a chuckle chasing it.

"And what we did to swindle my brother out of his inheritance wasn't? Hell - you leaving him for me wasn't?"

The brunette wrung her hands nervously and glanced down at them, her gaze studying her purse on her lap. She was aching for a cigarette, but she knew how much her husband hated smoke. She respected him enough so as to not do it right in front of him, and despite her high anxiety at the moment, she would uphold that.

"You know what I mean, honey." As she looked up again, her brown eyes grew wide. "They're here."

Christian's blue eyes followed his wife's line of vision. Sure enough, Edge and Lita were heading in the direction of _The Stop_. His eyes narrowed. He liked Lita, he really did... But the redhead was proving lately to be a real problem.

Husband and wife watched from their car parked across the street and slightly away from the restaurant. The new couple were holding hands and seeming very content in one another's company.

Dawn shifted her gaze from Edge and Lita and then back to her husband. He looked pensive, deeply lost in thought... Most likely, he was plotting.

Christian met her gaze, a smirk on his handsome face. Their quarries were completely oblivious of the fact that they were being watched as they embraced just outside of _The Stop_.


	28. Chapter 28

Lita gazed plaintively up at Edge, her hazel eyes sparkling. She was at that point where she just didn't want to be apart from him. She believed they called it 'the honeymoon phase.'

"So, you're not coming in for your usual for awhile?"

"Maybe later," the tall blond man said. He cocked his head, a tiny smile crossing his lips at the samll pout that was suddenly present on the redhead's lovely face. "Aww, you know how adorable you are?" he asked. "Do you know what that look does to a man?"

Lita burst out with soft, bubbly laughter, nearly jumping in her merriment. She couldn't believe how amazingly good she felt. It was such a wonderful feeling to have fallen in love with this handsome, mysterious man - but then, he was no longer a mystery to her. And while a part of her initial attraction toward him had been that shroud of mystery with which he'd cloaked himself, knowing him better was the icing on the cake.

"So, you're coming by to see me later?"

"Nothing could keep me away," he replied with a smile. He ducked his head to capture her willing lips, kissing her tenderly, yet passionately at the same time.

Lita raised her hands to his head, entangling her fingers into his soft, long golden curls. She loved his kisses, love the feeling of his strong arms around her... Loved him.

Finally, he broke the kiss, his green eyes still closed as he raised his head. Slowly, they opened again, and he spoke.

"Be good," he told her, offering her a wink.

She chuckled again, smiling up at him. It seemed as though she couldn't not smile. He seemed to bring out the best in her - in a lot more ways than just one.

"I will."

Edge grabbed hold of one of her hands, raising it to his lips. As he placed a kiss to the back of it, the redhead felt shivers running up her spine.

"Until later..." he released her hand and started to back away.

She watched him with a smile that reached all the way up to her eyes. Then, she waved with the same hand he'd kissed and turned to enter the diner.

Trish Stratus smiled as she stepped inside, plates in the little blonde's hands. She mouthed a quick hello to her friend and crossed over to the kitchen. What an unbelievably good mood she was in... She felt absolutely on top of the world, as though nothing could drag her down.

"Hi, Chris," she sang as she saw Jericho over by the stove. He was busy frying up some burgers.

"Why, hello, Miss Lita."

The doors swung open, and Trish entered the room.

"You sly little devil," she crowed as she grinned at the other waitress. "No wonder you're so happy."

Chris smiled as he turned to eye the blonde. It was nice to see her in a good mood again, even if he hadn't been the one to get her there.

Lita feigned innocence.

"What do you mean?"

"Oh, come on," Trish quipped. She dropped the dishes gingerly into the sudsy sink, then turned back to her friend, her hands on her hips. "Don't you play coy with me, Red - I saw you just how with that Edge guy. You two were really sucking face there!"

The taller woman blushed despite herself.

"Okay - you got me," she admitted. "He's incredible! I'm crazy about him!"

"That's great!" Trish exclaimed. She was so caught up in their girltalk that she seemingly nearly forgot Jericho was there. "Isn't this the guy you were fighting with Dawn about?"

The redhead stiffened, and both women looked up at him, the blonde in shock.

"What?" She frowned. "Lita, what is he talking about? What happened?"

"Apparently, something went down between this guy and Dawn Marie," Chris answered for her. Lita gave him a murderous look. Sometimes, that man had the biggest mouth. "Oh, your fight with Torrie wasn't the only catfight I got to enjoy last week," he said, directing his words and blue gaze at Trish.

The little blonde appeared shocked.

"What happened between you guys?" she asked.

Just at that moment, the double doors swung open, and Dawn Marie sauntered in. Lita clamped her mouth shut and gave Jericho a warning look. There was no way she was telling Trish anything now.

"Later, Trish... Later," she whispered.


	29. Chapter 29

Edge's jaw set in determination as his eyes remained fixed to the screen. He was going to get the information no matter what - even if he had to stay here all damn day.

He positioned the mouse over a hyperlink and clicked, bringing up a slew of new links. His gaze was sharp, as he didn't want to miss a thing.

Now that he knew that the creepy little bastard definitely resided in this city, he wouldn't be getting away from him anymore. Dawn Marie's appearance in _The Stop_ had absolutely confirmed it for him.

Jay Reso... Jay Reso... Adam's gaze swept over the computer monitor. He needed this information, damn it. He was in the town library, doing a little detective work as to where he might locate his step-brother. He wanted to collect the asshole's home address and then go pay the little prick and his crafty wife an unexpected visit.

He wondered if the two had already squandered away his inheritance. Knowing Dawn Marie and how extravagant she'd always been, the odds of very little money being left were extremely high.

He wondered also, not for the first, and not even for the hundredth time, why he'd been surprised by the brunette's betrayal. Why hadn't he ever seen it? Dawn had always been pretty close with Christian. The two had been friends all throughout Edge's relationship with her. Hell, he'd even joked to Christian once a few years back that he knew he had a crush on her! Except, of course, he'd only been joking and said it in humor. Never in his wildest dreams could he have forseen his girlfriend and the man who was his step-brother and his then best friend robbing him blind and running off together!

Edge cursed under his breath at what he saw on the screen. Of course... How could he have been so gullible? He would have to pay for this information. He sat back in the wooden chair, crossing his arms over his chest. Of course - everything and evidently everyone had their price. So be it - if he had to pay, he had his credit card on him. He pulled his wallet out of his pocket, eyes still glued to the monitor, and snatched up his MasterCard.

He wondered how long he would have to wait for the information he needed. A glance through the white pages a few days earlier had produced nothing, as Christian and Dawn Marie's phone number wasn't even listed. He couldn't help but wonder if they were drifters. He'd chased them over about half the country, so he really could be sure of how long they'd been here.

Lita... He would ask Lita how long Dawn had been working at _The Stop_. And the two women had been good friends, so he guessed it had to be awhile that the brunette and her husband had been living here. And according to the redhead, Christian had been a regular diner at her place of employment.

Thoughts of Lita calmed the aggravated blond man. He loved how he could think of her and feel so good, or so much better when he was upset about something. She soothed the beast inside of him. And that was only one of the many, many things he loved her for.

He put his credit card away and clicked the appropriate link, briefly waiting for the expected results. He'd been asked to enter an email address, and fortunately for him, in spite of no longer owning a computer, he still had one of those. He knew he really ought to set himself to buying at least a laptop, so that he could store all pertinent useful and important information.

Edge read the words on the screen. The message told him that his results would be processed within an hour and to check his email within that time.

He clicked out of the internet, sighed and stood up. Checking his watch, he noted that it was just about lunchtime. He was a bit hungry, so he supposed a good way to pass the time was to head over to the diner for lunch and to see Lita.


	30. Chapter 30

Dawn Marie sighed as she exited the diner for the night. Her shift had just ended, and for that, she was grateful. All she wanted to do was get home, soak in a nice, hot bath and have some quality time alone with her husband.

The day had been mostly uneventful, and blessedly so. Although she had expected Lita to approach her and demand more answers - or even worse, start a fight again - it hadn't happened. The redhead had kept to herself when they were around each other, and spoken and socialized with Trish and Chris. She'd blatantly avoided the brunette, and Dawn had to admit to herself that she was grateful.

She was sorry she'd lost a good friend... But the redhead was a feisty one, and a formidable enemy. The other day, when they'd gotten into a scuffle, it really hadn't been much of a fight - at least not on Dawn Marie's side. She was no fighter.

The woman hastily pulled out a cigarette and her lighter as she approached her car. Her fingers shook as she lit her smoke, then reached for her car keys. Dawn unlocked the driver's side door quickly, then slid into the vehicle. Tossing her purse onto the passenger's seat, she shut the door, buckled her seatbelt and put the key in the ignition.

Just as she was pulling out of the parking space, the sound of her celll phone ringing in her purse startled her. Nearly jumping in her seat, she floored the brake, jolted by the force of the car stopping short. Luckily, there hadn't been any cars coming her way and she wasn't blocking oncoming traffic. The phone kept ringing, and she grabbed it from her purse. A quick glimpse at the number displayed told her nothing - she didn't recognize it.

"Hello?"

There was no response of a hello back, but the brunette was able to detect the distinct sound of a person breathing on the other end.

"Hello?" she repeated.

"So, I've finally got you," a masculine voice declared in a soft tone.

Dawn Marie instantly felt chills running up her back. She knew all at once who was on the other end. She felt suddenly incapable of speech, as she was nearly frozen with fear.

"Aww, come on, Dawnie - I know you're still there," the voice taunted. "I know you didn't hang up on me."

The brunette opened her mouth, her lips moving, but all she could manage by way of a voice was a pitiful little squeak.

"How did you get this number?!"

"What's the matter, you don't want to talk to your ex-boyfriend?" Adam asked, his voice tinged with amusement. He couldn't help but enjoy this. And frankly, after everything Dawn Marie had put him through, why shouldn't he? And hell, he was behaving pretty tamely in comparison to what he could be doing right now. He had Dawn and Christian's home address - he could have just as easily gone to their house and wreaked havoc on their property - or on his loving stepbrother himself.

"No!" Dawn shouted. She cried out in pain as she suddenly became all too aware that she'd forgotten about her cigarette. Tossing the remainder of it out the window, she glanced at her burned hand. It was a tiny burn on the outside of the first joint of her middle finger, but it hurt like hell nonetheless. She knew once she got home she'd have to put salve on it. "Leave me alone, Adam Copeland! Stay out of my life!" The brunette pressed the button to end the call, then pulled the rest of the way out of her parked position, the car screeching as she shot off in the direction of home.


	31. Chapter 31

Dawn Marie's hands were shaking as she drove the short distance back to her house. Her eyes darted all around, the fine hairs on the back of her neck standing on end. She could not believe what had just happened, that he'd called her.

A lot of questions whizzed through the brunette's head - how had he gotten her number? Where had he called her from? Would he call back? Would he actually go so far as to stalk her, and if he did, would he hurt her?

Well, she did know the answer to one of those questions - she knew exactly what he wanted from her - and Christian. She shuddered as she recalled the phone call she'd received from the police a few weeks earlier, informing her that her husband was in the hospital after being attacked. Dawn hadn't even entertained the notion that Adam could have been behind it. However, when she'd arrived at the hospital and saw him, she'd known... She'd seen it in his eyes, and then, sure enough, he'd told her. His stepbrother had finally caught up with them.

The brunette let out a sigh as she reached her house. Christian was not working right now, but then again, he didn't have to. The only reason she'd ever gotten the job at the diner had been solely to feel useful. She was the type of person who hated doing nothing. She needed to feel a purpose in life, even in a job like waitressing or cleaning.

She parked the car in the space directly in front of the house, exited and slammed the door behind her. Damn it, she felt like she needed another cigarette. Curse her nerves. Christian hated her smoking, but she couldn't help herself.

"Honey?" she called, tossing her keys on the small end table as she kicked the front door shut. She turned and locked it as well. After all, they couldn't take any chances, especially now. "I'm home, Jay." Dawn frowned and wondered why there was no answer. Tentatively, she made her way through the house and to their bedroom, as she immediately saw that her husband was not in the living room.

Her heart seemed to return to normal as she instantly spotted him standing across the room. His back was toward her, and he seemed intensely focused on their answering machine.

"Jay?"

Christian turned then, facing his wife, his expression agitated. He pointed at the answering machine, and her gaze followed his hand - the little red light on it was blinking, which meant they had messages.

"He called, Dawn... He called."

The brunette's blood ran ice cold as she instantly knew who he was talking about. Adam had called her cell phone and their home number.

"He called me, too!" she exclaimed.

The blond man's face grew more angry at his wife's confession.

"Oh, did he now? What did he say to you?" he demanded.

"N-not too much," she said. "But it was like he wanted to scare me."

"Looks like it worked."

Dawn nodded, her lower lip quivering a bit.

"He taunted me... Asked me what was wrong, why I didn't want to talk to him."

"The phone rang around one this afternoon," Jay said, "and when I answered, it was him."

Dawn Marie's brown eyes widened, and slowly, she removed her purse and dropped it on the bed.

"Did you speak with him?"

"No," Christian admitted, "I hung up on the bastard." He shook his head as he eyed the phone and answering machine again. "But then, he called back and left a message. Said he knew it was me and that 'time was running out.'"

The brunette's jaw dropped.

"Dawnie, he must've called back at least ten more times," he continued. "I had to turn the damn ringer off. And the idiot left just as many messages. I've had a hell of a time erasing them. Hell, I'm not even done yet."

Dawn Marie thought to ask her husband to play one of the messages he hadn't yet deleted - but at the same time, she was already chilled enough. Damn it, why couldn't he just leave them alone?

--

Lita set down the bowl of food, smiling as she patted Cody as the dog began to eat. For once, she was going to enjoy an early night relaxing at home.

The redhead turned back to the sink to rinse her hands, the smell of roast chicken beginning to fill the small kitchen. She was so hungry, she could feel herself salivating already.

She smiled as she eyed Cody once more before leaving the kitchen to go into her living room. Letting out a contented sigh, she stretched out on the couch and grabbed her TV remote, turning on the set. Her thoughts were instantly focused on Edge, and she wondered what he was up to tonight.

She'd been sitting there for several minutes when the sound of the doorbell suddenly surprised her. Cody began to bark from the kitchen. Lita rose to answer the door, her stomach filled with butterflies. It was him - she knew it.

Sure enough, when she opened the door, the tall blond man stood there, his smoldering green eyes intense as they drank her in.

"Hey," he said. He simply could not take his eyes off of her.

"Hey." Lita's smile felt as thought it couldn't get any brighter or broader.

"I was wondering," Edge began, a strange shyness he hadn't felt since he was a child coming over him, "if you wouldn't mind some company tonight...?"

The redhead's smile softened as she kept her gaze locked on his. Her heart felt like a cannon in her chest as she responded.

"I would love that." With that, she ushered him inside, and the tall blond man kicked the door closed as she was instantly in his arms, their lips meeting in intense passion.


	32. Chapter 32

Edge groaned softly as they continued to kiss passionately, over and over again. He felt Lita's small hands in his hair, moving to his cheeks to cup his head as she pulled him even more closely to her.

The intensity and emotion between them was momentous. He couldn't remember feeling more passion for a woman than he did for the fiery redhead, and certainly not in so short a time.

Groaning with pleasure yet again, the blond man broke the kiss to sweep her up into his arms. Lita's gaze on him was intense, warm and unbreakable, and she clasped her arms around his neck as he carried her through the house and to her bedroom.

They were both already panting with want and anticipation as he laid her down on the bed. He lowered himself to her, directly in her waiting open arms, and they kissed again, the redhead letting out a slightly muffled moan. Her hands were in his long blond hair, holding his head in place as she dipped her tongue deeply into his mouth, swirling it and meeting his own tongue. She felt as though she could have died when she felt one of his hands roaming over her breasts, alternately fondling her nipples through the fabric of her shirt and bra.

He was pressing painfully against the zipper of his jeans, and he moaned as her hands lowered there to undo the garment, suddenly freeing him from the confines. And then, in mere moments, they were both fully nude, and he pulled her up to her feet with him. Holding her beautiful taut body with her back against him, he kissed and nipped at the side and nape of her neck as well as her earlobes. At the same time, one of his demanding hands stroked her breast while the other sought lower, finding her warm, moist center.

Lita moaned, her breathing quickening some more. He was doing some incredible things to her body, and she knew it wouldn't take her long to come.

"Mmm..." She closed her eyes, arching her back against him, absolutely loving the feel of his full, rock-hard erection prodding at her lower back. She reached a hand behind her and found him, and proceeded to move her hand in a stroking motion. She heard him sigh with pleasure, his breath hot against the nape of her neck as she began to arch her body in rhythm with the motions of his hand that still rubbed between her legs.

It went on for a few minutes until the tall blond man suddenly stopped, and he gripped her hips, then pressed gently but firmly at her lower back, positioning her appropriately against the side of the bed to accomodate what he wanted. And then, the redhead inhaled sharply as she felt him enter her fully from behind. Oh, God, he felt so incredible... So big and thick, and full, and... His thrusts were powerful, amazing. He pumped in and out of her at a deliberate pace, sending her afire. She'd already been close to orgasm, but now... Now, she felt herself even closer.

Adam reached one hand forward, under her, and his skilled fingers quickly found her again.

She gritted her teeth as the combined feeling of him slamming into her and his fingers tracing circles over her clitoris caused even more incredible sensations to shoot through her brain. She felt as though she could just die right then and there as the pleasure reached its crescendo, and her body was wracked with the most mind-blowing orgasm. She let out a loud cry, biting her lip as she felt it about to develop into a scream.

"It's okay, baby... "Edge murmured softly, his voice very close to her ear. Not for one second did he slow down the pace as he thrust through her orgasm. "... Let it out - let it all out."

Lita's eyes squeezed tightly shut as she felt the waves of pleasure still gripping her, and she let out an even louder cry that was more of a wail.

He loved that sound, loved the image of her beautiful face he got in his mind, as he couldn't see it because of their position. But the mere image coupled with the sounds of her ecstasy were enough to send him over as well, and he groaned loudly as he came, emptying himself into her. He gripped her hips more tightly than before, keeping still as it went on and on. It was absolutely incredible.

When it was finally over, the blond man held her to him, and he straightened her up as he slowly slipped out of her, holding her back against his front. He lowered his head to hers, finding her lips as she eagerly turned her head in his direction. This was love, all right... And he couldn't imagine himself being anywhere else than with this woman.


	33. Chapter 33

"Okay, so I'll see you later tonight? As planned?"

Lita felt a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth at Edge's words. In fact, her entire body was shuddering with pleasant chills. It seemed as though it were a mutual thing - they couldn't get enough of one another.

"Definitely," she replied a slow blush seeping through her cheeks. This man made her feel so good. "I'd better go now, though - work, you know."

"Okay," Edge replied. "See you later... And be good!"

She laughed, thinking of just how appropriate his last three words were to be directed at him.

"I will... Bye."

"I love you," he replied. "Bye."

Lita's breath caught in her throat at the sweet sentiment, but she couldn't say the same back to him, as he'd already hung up. She stood there, the pay phone's receiver clutched in her hand for a beat, before finally hanging up.

She turned slowly and headed back into the kitchen, her thoughts consumed by her new boyfriend. She was dragged back to her senses in an instant at the sight of Chris and Trish, the two looking pretty chummy. The chef had a hand on the blonde waitress' cheek as the two stood facing one another, speaking in soft tones. Neither seemed to be working at the very moment, or even concerned about it, and some burgers were audibly frying on the grill.

"Oh... Excuse me," the redhead said, unable to contain the smile on her face. She'd known for awhile that Chris had a crush on the little blonde, but he'd never had the courage to do anything about it. However, since the fiasco with Torrie Wilson, things seemed to have changed.

"Hey," Chris said, smiling but removing his hand from Trish's face. "Actually, you're just in time."

"Hmm?"

Trish gestured with one hand as she decided to do the honors.

"Well, Lita... Chris and I were talking about going out tomorrow night - I can't do it tonight because of school and all," she explained. "But how about you and Edge double with us? We're going to hit the town."

"That sounds like fun!" the redhead exclaimed. "I'll ask Edge when I see him later." Her heart fluttered as she acknowledged that in a mere three more hours, she and the tall blond man would see each other again. As he usually did, he would be meeting her here later, when her shift ended. She could hardly wait, and she loved that feeling.

Fortunately for her, Dawn Marie had worked the early shift that day. She was relieved that she didn't have to see the brunette. It was really a shame... Although she hated to think of it now, after everything she'd learned, Dawn had been a good friend. But Lita refused to allow herself to dwell on that. The woman was a thief, end of story. She _and_ her bastard husband. As far as the redhead was concerned, those two were the scum of the earth and deserved each other for what they did to Adam.

"Hey... Red!" Jericho said, waving a hand in front of Lita's face.

The redhead blinked, coming back to her senses. Trish wasn't even in the kitchen anymore. Her guess was that the blonde had returned to work and had brought a plate out to some diners.

"Oh... Sorry," she said sheepishly and crossed the room for an apron. "I guess I blanked out on you for a minute there."

"No problem," the blond man said with a friendly wink and smile. "I understand, kid."

She looked back up at him, certain that he really didn't. She wondered what he would think, how he would react if she told him the truth about Dawn Marie - someone he too considered a friend.

Since Lita had worn her uniform to work for a change, she simply tied her apron over it right there. She chewed on her lower lip, lost in thought as Chris studied her.

"Is something wrong?"

She looked up again, sharply this time as he brought her back from her thoughts. Damn it, she had a creepy feeling and wished she could talk to someone.

"Yes - I mean, no," she said. She cursed herself mentally but then sighed and met the chef's kind blue eyes. He was eyeing her with concern. "Chris, can I talk to you for a bit?" She knew it was a bad idea to do this now, when her shift was about to begin, but what the hell.

"Sure, of course."

--

His gaze was sharp in the dark stillness of the night as he kept his eyes on them like a hawk. As usual, he'd worn his customary all black for the job, but he found himself wishing he'd worn a black hat to conceal his long blond hair. That would no doubt make him conspicuous if they were to suddenly realize they were being followed. He just had to hope that wouldn't happen - at least not until he was ready to let them know.

The couple suddenly strode hand-in-hand into a liquor store. Damn it, this was the part of this that he hated. He had to stay back, keep to the shadows, wait until they were back outside. He wondered what they were up to, as neither had ever been much of drinkers.

Moments later, they emerged, and she was carrying a paper bag with a bottle of something inside, cradling it.

He followed them for several blocks, making sure to keep to the shawdows. He was glad the streets were deserted as he quickened his step to make his move.

"Hey!"

He heard Dawn Marie audibly gasp as they turned. His step-brother's eyes were wide as he stared at him.

"You!"

"Yeah, it's me," Edge spat. "You worthless bastard... How come you never answer your phone?"

"Fuck you!" Christian sputtered. Without warning, he charged right at the taller man, surprising him in the process. There was a brawl right there in the street, mere yards from their house, and by some miracle, Dawn Marie managed not to scream throughout it all.

Edge's breath rushed out in a gush as he collapsed to the ground. Christian back up, his gaze wide as it was glued on his step-brother. Without wasting any time, he blindly reached out slightly behind him and grabbed his wife's upper arm. He spoke to her in a loud whisper.

"Come on - let's go... Let's go!"


	34. Chapter 34

Lita glanced down at her watch yet again, her nerves beginning to get frazzled. She looked back up toward the window by her right side, then toward the door. She sighed.

"Hey... What are _you_ still doing here?" a bright and friendly feminine voice asked.

The redhead looked up to meet the kind brown eyes of Stacy Keibler, the new waitress Stephanie had recently hired to replace Torrie Wilson. The tall, slim blonde was carrying a tray of drinks - glasses of water, an iced coffee, and a Coke. She placed the latter on the table before Lita and gave her a wink.

"Thanks," she said. She took hold of the icy glass and sighed. "My boyfriend was supposed to pick me up nearly a half-hour ago. I don't know what's keeping him."

"Aww... Don't worry. He probably got a little tied up," the young woman said. "I'm sure he'll be here soon." She gestured with a slight tilt of her head. "I have to get back to work... But you hang in there."

"Thanks again, Stacy." She took a long sip of the soda the other waitress had given her as the blonde walked away. She couldn't help but wonder what was taking Edge so long. He'd never been late to meet her before. She took a deep breath and sighed as she glanced at her watch once again. The way it was looking, she was probably going to give him another ten minutes, and if he still didn't show up, she would just leave.

--

Lita bit her lip as she sat on her living room couch, Cody curled up beside her, his head on her lap. She was worried... She'd finally given up on Edge meeting her at the diner and had walked home on her own. She'd called his house twice, but he hadn't been there - or if he had, he hadn't picked up...

... That had been about an hour and a half earlier.

She had the television set on but hadn't been able to follow the show she had on. Her mind was too pre-occupied. What was going on? Although she really hadn't known the tall blond man for too long, she knew him well enough to know that he wouldn't just thoughtlessly stand her up - something had to be wrong. Somehow, she knew it.

All of a sudden, Cody bolted off the couch and started barking up a storm. The redhead watched after him as he took off, racing for the door. She frowned, as he seemed more agitated than usual by an apparent noise outside.

"What's wrong, boy?" Lita asked. She rose and started to follow in the direction her dog had run - and that was when she suddenly heard the soft knocking.

She stared at her front door, questions in her mind. Cody's barking had abated, and now he was merely whimpering. That was something she considered odd. She stepped in front of him and to the door, gently but firmly pushing him back a bit. She wondered why the person hadn't rung the doorbell - and also if it could possibly be Edge.

"Who is it?" she called. She didn't have a peephole.

"Lita... It's me. Let... let me in."

It was Edge, all right. She felt momentarily annoyed - why hadn't he at least bothered to call her, give her that common courtesy? His voice sounded strange, too - he was probably feeling like crap for keeping her waiting and never showing up. For a moment, she considered just ignoring his request and telling him through the door to go home... But then she told herself that he had come here, after all. So, taking a deep breath and exhaling just as deeply, she unlocked and opened the door.

"So... What the heck happened to _you_?" she asked, holding the door not even half-open to him as she peered out at him. "I mean, you did keep me waiting forever and a day."

"Lita..." The tall blond man reached out for her with one hand.

The redhead frowned. Something about him wasn't right. She noticed that his eyes seemed half-glazed over, and he didn't seem himself in another way as well. His voice was also weak, as if... Oh, God, if he was a drug abuser, she would-

The door suddenly opened more widely as Edge pushed it with as much might as he could muster.

"... Let me in," he said weakly, his voice barely over a whisper...

... That was when Lita finally saw the blood.

Cody was still whimpering sadly as the blond man suddenly collapsed to the floor, a pool of blood gathering. The redhead's eyes widened in shocked horror as she held one hand to her mouth, a building scream yearning to break free.

"Adam? Oh, my God!" She knelt down to him, her gaze sweeping over him. His jacket was open, his black T-shirt stained with blood - and the wound was in his chest. Lita swallowed hard, tears coming to her eyes. It looked as though he'd been stabbed. "Shit!" She cast her gaze around furiously, wanting to grab the nearest phone to call 911, an ambulance - someone that would be able to help - but at the same time, she didn't want to leave him. Her vision was blurred by the tears as she gazed down into his handsome face. "Baby?"

Edge reached up with one hand for hers. His grip felt weak - much weaker than his pushing through her door had been.

"Lita... I love you," he said softly. "I'm... sorry."

The redhead felt one tear finally slip free and trickle down her cheek. What did he mean? Why was he apologizing?

"Edge?"

"I never should have confronted him." That single sentence came out clearly, but the blond man's breathing sounded slightly ragged by now.

"What?" She suddenly realized what must have happened, and her eyes widened in horror again. "Oh, God... You mean... Christian did this to you?!" She was on the verge of going hysterical. "Oh, God... I have to call for an ambulance. Don't... just stay there, baby - stay there." She started to rise to her feet, but Edge's grip on her hand tightened, and he shook his head, stopping her.

"No... The police - no police." His normally vibrant, brilliant green eyes stared up into her orbs, pleading.

Lita shook her head, her throat constricted. She knew why he didn't want police involved - after he'd attacked his stepbrother awhile back, they'd been on the lookout for him. Her heart felt as though it were breaking. He needed to be in a hospital - or at least have a doctor tend to him.

"Please, Lita... Please," he managed. He raised his hand to her face, his forefinger weakly tracing the tear that had run down her cheek seconds before. "You... _you_ take care of me."

"My God, Edge! You need medical treatment! You need-"

"Please!" He managed to say that single word louder than any other he'd spoken thus far since collapsing on her floor.

The redhead bit down on her lip as she kept her gaze on his. She felt as though she were spiraling in some horrible, impossible nightmare. But she loved this man... She didn't know what she would do if he... No - no, she couldn't allow herself to think that way. Finally, more tears spilling down her cheeks, and with resignation, she nodded.

"I'll take care of you."


	35. Chapter 35

Amazingly, Edge managed to keep from slipping into unconsciousness. The pain from the stab wound was incredibly great, so much so that it was to the point where he actually barely even felt it. It had been a searing, blinding, white-hot pain, the blade slipping cleanly through flesh and tissue. Fortunately, his piece of crap stepbrother hadn't plunged the blade into his heart or a major artery - so he doubted his was a mortal injury. Even so, it was agonzing, and he was feeling somewhat ill from the effects.

Lita seemed barely able to keep the tears from her eyes as she tended to his wound. She had gathered a clean washcloth and a large bowl of cold water to clean the deep, large cut. She still feared he might at least need stitches, and certainly medical attention in general, but she held her tongue about that now.

The idea of calling the police, getting them involved, kept flitting back into her mind. How could Edge _not_ press charges? Christian could have killed him, and he was the one in the wrong here. He needed to give his stepbrother his money back, and needed to be brought to justice.

And just where did Dawn Marie stand in regard to this most vicious and horrific act? The redhead wondered... She really wondered. The woman had obviously been one-hundred percent in on the robbery part, but this? Assault, and possibly attempted _murder_? The fact that the brunette had been a friend and that she really didn't know made her sick to her stomach.

"Baby..." she said softly. She wasn't even quite sure how to ask him. "... Any-any better?"

The tall blond man gazed up at her with eyes half-closed as she kept tending to him. Her touch was so soft, gentle and tender, and it touched him deeply inside.

"You're amazing," he said.

Lita blinked with emotion, wondering why he'd said that now. It seemed so out of context. She wondered if he were growing delirious from blood loss... She winced at that thought as he raised a hand, his knuckles brushing against her cheek.

"Edge, I'm scared."

He merely eyed her silently, waiting for her to continue and explain.

"I-I think you need to see a doctor." She winced yet again, knowing how he would respond.

"Negative."

He saw the hurt in her eyes and felt like complete shit for it.

"I can't risk it," he said evenly. "But don't worry... I'm not going to die," he assured her.

She blinked through fresh tears, knowing - or at least hoping - his words were true. She had managed to stop the blood flow, although the wound was horribly open and raw. She felt a horrid pain deep inside every time she looked at it, and a sympathy more profound than she could ever recall experiencing.

The blond man reached for one of her hands, interlacing his fingers into her graceful and much smaller ones. "I promise," he said. He winced somewhat from the pain he still felt. "I'll live, even if it _kills_ me."

Lita didn't laugh at his poor attempt at a joke. If anything, her crying grew just a little harder.

"Aww, shit," Edge muttered. "I'm sorry, I was just trying to lighten the mood."

The redhead's mood suddenly changed - so quickly and abruptly in fact that it startled him.

"_Damn_ you!" she exclaimed. "You stupid, crazy man!"

"What?"

Tears were streaming down the young woman's cheeks.

"I really don't understand you," she went on. "You and Christian and your stupid dangerous games!"

Edge frowned.

"'Games?'"

"Yes, _games_!" Lita cried. "You should have gone straight to the police instead of taking the law into your own hands!" She was angry, but she had to refrain from striking him in any manner despite her urge to do so. She was torn by her love and sympathy and by her rage at this man - rage for having gotten himself injured in a way that could have been fatal. It made her so angry because of one thing, and one thing only - _love_. She was deeply, crazily, ridiculously in love with the man. And meanwhile, he could have very well gotten himself killed, and she would have lost him - and she didn't know what she would have done if that had happened.

"I'm... sorry," he whispered. He almost didn't know what to say and wished he could just pull her down to him and kiss her, kiss all her tears away.

"Promise me one thing," she said, meeting his green orbs with her teary hazel.

Edge said nothing for a beat, then bit the bullet. He loved her and knew he would do whatever she wanted.

"All right."

"Promise me you will never confront him again - unless you do so in a _legal_ way."

The tall blond man sighed, his eyes slowly closing as he absorbed her words.

"Okay," he said resignedly. "I promise." He opened his eyes again and met Lita's as her hand was coming to cup his cheek. He leaned into her touch, as he was powerless against her - just as he hadn't been able to refuse her a moment earlier.


	36. Chapter 36

"I can't _believe_ what you did!" Dawn Marie cried as she entered the steamy bathroom. Christian was in the shower, sluicing away the blood - the blood of his stepbrother.

There was no answer for the longest time, and the brunette wondered if her husband had even heard her. However, she got her answer finally, as the blond man turned off the water. She saw the towel hanging on the shower rod slip inside and the silhouette of him dry off before swathing the towel around his naked hips.

"Don't worry about it, honey," he said as he slid the filmly glass shower door open. He smiled and winked at her, and Dawn was downright shocked. Conning and scheming was one thing, as was even stealing Adam's money, but what Jay had done was beyond anything her mind could comprehend.

"'Don't worry about it?'" she said incredulously. "Jay, you stabbed Adam! You never said a thing about physical violence. You could have _killed_ him!"

Inwardly, the blond man wondered if he had indeed done just that and succeeded. Yet, at the same time, he didn't get the impression that his stepbrother was dead... It sure didn't _feel_ like he was.

"Dawnie, will you calm down?" he said, placing his hands on his wife's shoulders. "For crying out loud, you're shaking."

"Well, how the hell can I _not_ be?" Dawn Marie exclaimed, her brown eyes filled with something he'd never seen directed at him before. She looked ashamed, fearful. He didn't like having those emotions directed at him by his own wife.

"Listen to me," he said seriously, looking her straight in the eye. He reached up and gripped her chin - not hard enough to really hurt, but firmly, as though sending her an unmistakable message. "Everything is going to be just fine. If you're so worried, we'll just pick up and go somewhere new."

The brunette flinched, and at that very moment found herself yearning for a cigarette. However, she knew how much Jay hated it when she smoked, and she knew the dirty habit was only a temporary method of releasing stress but did not solve or end all her problems. She twisted out of her husband's grasp.

"No! Jay, I'm sick of moving around like a nomad! I just..." She exhaled a deep breath, her eyes closing wearily. "... I just want to be _normal_ again. I'm tired of running... I'm tired of hiding out because of what we did to Adam. I'm tired of the fact that I lost a friend because of it. I'm just... _tired_, Jay."

Christian crossed his arms, his long, wet hair spilling droplets of water onto his bare, chisled chest.

"Really? Well, maybe you're tired of _me_, too?!" His face was full of anger, blue eyes sparking. He rarely got angry with his wife, but on those rare occasions, he really hated it.

"What did you have before me? You had nothing, Dawn - _nothing_!"

She flinched again, the words stinging. She thought of saying she did have something before him - Adam - but decided against it. She'd never seen him so angry before, so who knew if he might suddenly fly into physical violence?

Christian's demeanor suddenly changed again as a smile came to his lips and his features softened.

"Hey now." He put an arm around Dawn Marie's waist and nuzzled her. The brunette was startled by his sudden mood change. "Like I said, it'll all be all right."

Dawn swallowed hard, her eyes closed as he started kissing the side of her neck.

--

Lita stared down at the man laying on his back on her bed, his eyes closed. She couldn't remember feeling as horrible as she did right now, and she couldn't deny the tears as they came yet again.

Edge had finally fallen asleep... Initially, she'd been terrified he had been injured far worse than he had let on, but she detected the rising and falling of his chest with his breathing. Nonetheless, she wept.

The redhead rose from the bed upon which she'd still been sitting and raced for the door to leave the room. Her crying was about to get louder and she didn't want to disturb Edge, especially if his sleep was peaceful. Also, she was not going to allow him to question her crying - she had every right to do so if that was how she truly felt.

A deep sense of mortality had struck Lita from the moment Edge had collapsed on her floor and she'd seen that he'd been stabbed. How very close she'd come to losing him! She couldn't bear the thought of it.

"Damn you, Adam Copeland," she swore softly, the sobs overtaking her body. She wrapped her arms around her legs as she drew them up on the couch she sank down onto. Cody came over, whimpering, and nuzzled her. That only made her sob just a bit harder.


	37. Chapter 37

Edge awoke to a dull, throbbing pain in his upper chest. On top of this, he was burning up and disoriented, wondering where he was. Then, as his head cleared, he remembered and recognized his surroundings...

... Lita. He was at her house, where he'd staggered to after Christian had brutally attacked him. She'd been right by his side earlier, tending to his wound and generally giving him love and care. He didn't see her anywhere in the room now, however, and he wondered where she could be.

A moment later, as though she had perfectly read his mind, the redhead slipped into the doorway. She craned her neck just enough to gaze over at him, worry etched on her pretty face. At the blond man's estimation, she was probably checking to see if he was still alive and breathing. How very much she worried about him.

"Hey," he managed, and his voice came out in a raspy, dry croak, much to his dismay. He felt parched and needed water.

"Hi." She gestured to him with one hand, her hazel eyes widening slightly. Then, she slipped through the door and he was again left wondering. She returned seconds later, again evidently having read his mind as she carried a glass of water to the bed.

He gazed up at her with love and wonder. She was amazing... He'd never before known a woman who could read his mind. With some small effort, he sat up, and she helped him, and he drank small sips of the water. He felt dehydrated. He started to take bigger sips, gulping the cool, refreshing liquid and nearly choked as some slipped down the wrong pipe.

Lita pulled the glass away as she gently, almost reluctantly patted him on the back.

"Easy, easy... Baby steps first," she said.

Adam knew she was right and that he'd gotten overzealous. Hell, maybe she was right in insisting he should be in a hospital. He had lost some blood, and he was feeling weak and dehydrated now. Damn his stepbrother... Damn the entire sordid situation to hell!

He raised his gaze to the young woman's beautiful face. She looked pale, yet her eyes were red-rimmed and somewhat puffy. No doubt she'd been crying again - and most likely, she'd gone in another room to do so rather than let him know that, and probably out of fear of disturbing him as well.

"I'm sorry."

Her eyebrows rose quizzically.

"For what?"

"For dragging you into my mess of a life," he said sadly. "You don't deserve to have to deal with this vendetta between me and my stepbrother." He shook his head, his green eyes dropping with sorrow. "Look at this - you have work tomorrow and I'm taking up your bed. I'm disrupting your life."

"Stop right there," Lita cut in, shaking her head vehemently. "You're not 'disrupting' my life, Adam. And I'm a big girl - I'll deal with whatever I want to deal with." Her features softened as she placed a caressing hand to his face. "I _love_ you."

He swallowed hard, the lump in his throat making that simple task difficult. She was a truly amazing woman.

"And I love you," he said. He could actually feel tears wanting to break free.

Lita reached down with one hand, pressing her palm against his wan cheek. Again, she gently tilted the glass in her other hand, allowing him to take small sips of water. It was on the tip of her tongue to tell him that he should be in the hospital, but she kept it to herself. Besides, she realized that he himself knew that - even though he was maddeningly stubborn.

The phone suddenly rang, startling the redhead, as it was still very early. She turned her head toward the direction of it, wondering who on earth it could be. The ringing sounded so ominous, for some reason.

Edge met her eyes, his expression placid although curious. She didn't seem to want to move a muscle, as though fearful.

"Aren't you going to answer it?" the blond man finally asked.

Lita bit her lip, nodded, and then reluctantly moved from the bed, releasing him as she did just that.

The blond man eyed her as she raised the receiver to her ear and spoke.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Lita," a female voice spoke. "I know you hate me now, but we need to talk. There are things you should know - things you _both_ should know."

The redhead's blood was chilled by the words more than the owner of the voice. What did the other woman mean exactly?

"I have to come by to see you - please... _Please_, Lita!"

Lita's heart thumped triple-time as she felt momentarily struck speechless. She couldn't even think clearly. She finally uttered a few words.

"Um... Yeah, all right. Do you want to come here?"

The conversation lasted less than another minute, and she hung up slowly, as though in a trance.

Edge squinted seriously as he gazed into her face. She looked nearly as white as a sheet.

"Lita? Who was that?"

"It was... It was Dawn Marie," she told him. "She said she has something to tell us. She's coming over here as soon as possible."

The man on the bed blinked at her with shock.


	38. Chapter 38

Lita opened the door with a somewhat stern expression on her face and suspicion in her mind. The other woman eyed her as steadily as she could manage and murmured a greeting.

"Hello, Lita... Thank you for agreeing to hear me out. I-I appreciate it." Dawn Marie ducked almost shyly into the house and bit her lip at the other woman's silence.

"Let's get one thing straight," the redhead said after a long, awkward moment. "I don't trust you."

Dawn bowed her head in shame.

"As a matter of fact, I don't trust you as far as I could throw you." She glared daggers into the other women for a beat before speaking again. "And quite frankly, I don't like you much right now."

The brunette kept her head bowed but nodded.

"I can certainly understand that."

"Oh, _can_ you now?" Lita asked in an angry, mocking tone. She raised one hand, gesturing toward the closed door of her bedroom. "You put that man thorugh hell and back - you and that 'wonderful' husband of yours. And he didn't deserve one damn bit of it!"

"I know," Dawn replied calmly, although inside she yearned for a cigarette. "You're right - you're absolutely right... I've done some horrible things to Adam, and I don't deserve your forgiveness or friendship." The woman raised her head, maintaining clear and even eye contact with her former friend as she uttered the next words. "But I would like to try to right the wrongs - if you would just give me that chance."

Lita stared at her in silence for a long moment, her arms crossed under her breasts. Then, finally, she nodded.

"Yeah... We'll see." The truth was, she still wasn't convinced she could trust Dawn Marie.

The brunette nodded wordlessly. At the moment, she guessed that this was the best she could hope for, all things considered. And she'd meant what she'd said - she knew she'd done some truly horrible things and that she wasn't worthy of forgiveness, let alone regaining the other woman's friendship. But that didn't mean she didn't want those things. She _did_, more than anything.

"Where is he?" she finally asked in a soft voice.

Without a word, Lita gestured with her right hand and turned back toward her bedroom. Cody was barking up a storm in there, as though guarding the fallen blond man from his one-time girlfriend who'd betrayed him.

Dawn Marie cringed, and the redhead noticed, though she wasn't sure it was from seeing Edge like that or from seeing Cody. She supposed it could have been a combination of both.

The tall Canadian was once again awake. He laid there with his green eyes open but sleepy-looking, bloodshot. Slowly, as he noticed Dawn standing there with Lita, he smacked his lips. They were parched.

The redhead was by his side instantly, and she poured a glass of water for him from a pitcher on the nightstand. The other woman watched, her heart sinking as she helped him, holding his head as she gingerly tilted the glass for the man to drink. What the hell had Christian done to his stepbrother? The horror of it took her breath away.

"Oh, my God," Dawn Marie breathed, covering her mouth with both hands. She saw the stab wound her husband had administered, how open and raw it looked. Adam had clearly bled a lot. But why wasn't he in the hospital?

Edge finally acknowledged her as he sat up a little once his thirst was quenched.

"Well, well, well... If it isn't my ex who's now my stepsister-in-law."

The brunette seemed speechless now. She merely stared at him - and he and Lita together as she realized how in love they must be. Her eyes began to grow misty.

"Adam, please hear me out," she blurted. "I had nothing to do with Jay's attack on you. I didn't even have a clue he was going to do it - you _have_ to believe me!" She shook her head frantically, gesturing with both hands. More than ever before, she wanted a cigarette.

The blond man settled back so that his head rested on the redhead's lap. His eyes seemed half-glassy as he responded.

"Oh, really? And why should I believe you?"

"Because I'm telling the truth. I swear it on my mother's grave," Dawn proclaimed. "And I'm here because I want justice to prevail."

The Canadian merely stared at her. Could this woman really be trusted after everything she'd put him through? He'd loved her... He'd loved her and she'd betrayed him in not one way but two. However, he knew how he felt now. He held no more love for Dawn Marie Psaltis and was in love with Lita. He was a forgiving person by nature in spite of the wrongs he'd been dealt. Besides, he was dying of curiosity to see if the brunette really meant what she said in wanting justice to prevail.

"I'll prove I'm sincere," Dawn Marie declared. "I'll prove it right now that I _meant_ what I said." Without asking Lita, she neared the bed, stopping at the nightstand. As Edge and the redhead watched, she picked up the receiver of the cordless phone and dialed 911.

"Hello..." After a brief pause as she listened to the operator on the other end, "I'd like to report an attempted murder... Yes. My husband tried to kill his stepbrother, and I witnessed the entire thing."


	39. Chapter 39

Lita and Edge were still staring at Dawn Marie after she hung up with the police. They quickly exchanged glances but could hardly keep their gazes off of her after what had just happened...

... Unless the brunette had been faking and had some scheme up her sleeve, she had actually called 911 and made a claim of attempted murder against her husband.

Lita, for one, was definitely skeptical enough to do a redial to check whether her former friend had actually done that. In complete silence, she moved over to the phone, lifted the receiver and pressed the button, startled when she heard a woman's voice speak.

"911? What is your emergency?"

The redhead was so startled, unbelievably taken aback that she was struck momentarily speechless. But she knew she had better speak, because she didn't want them to think that the last call - originating from her number - was a hoax.

"I... I just wanted to double-check the call I just made to you," she said lamely. "My husband tried to murder his stepbrother."

"Yes, we got your complaint, ma'am."

"Thank you," Lita said. Slowly, she hung up, almost gingerly replacing the receiver on its rest. She simply stared in wonder at Dawn Marie. "You weren't faking," she said. It was a statement and not a question. She almost couldn't believe it.

"No... Of course I wasn't," the other woman replied with an emphatic shake of the head. She suddenly looked embarrassed. "Jay has gone way over the deep end lately, and I couldn't just sit by and let him get away with it."

Lita wordlessly eyed the woman for a beat, then gave a short nod. She was surprised, yet at the same time knew she was completely sincere.

"My God," Dawn Marie muttered. "What I wouldn't give for a cigarette right now!" She met the redhead's eyes and tried to appeal to her. "Lita, I don't feel safe enough to go out. I know it's a lot of me to ask, but..." She bit her lip tentatively, then went on. "... Would you go and get me a pack of cigarettes?" She didn't even care which brand they were so long as she had some smokes.

"Nothing doing," the other woman replied, shaking her head defiantly. "I won't be an enabler, and I won't have you slowly killing yourself."

From the bed, Edge watched the two women curiously, even with some amusement. He'd never seen them interact like friend before, so it was really something to him... One woman he'd once loved, the other he currently loved.

Dawn shook her head, fully understanding in spite of her disappointment. She knew she had to quit, anyway.

The redhead gazed over at her boyfriend silently, then looked back at the women she'd once considered her closest friend.

"How about some coffee?" she suggested, gesturing with a thumb hooked over one shoulder. "Hey, at least caffeine won't kill you."

The brunette felt a smile tugging at one corner of her lips.

"Sure. Thank you, Lita." She glanced at Edge as well, noting the somewhat bemused expression on his face despite the pain he had to be feeling. "I'll help you, okay?"

Lita was at the injured blond man's side again at those words, her hands going to his face.

"Baby... Are you going to be okay here alone for a few minutes?"

"Yeah, sure," came the reply. "Go get Dawn her fix."

Lita smiled softly at the comment.

With that, she left the modest bedroom and, followed by the brunette, entered the kitchen. Cody surprisingly didn't bark at her newest guest, but then, even though she hadn't visited lately, he knew the woman.

"He really should be in a hospital," Dawn Marie said as Lita grabbed some ground coffee from the cupboard.

A sigh came from the redhead.

"I know... Of course he should. But I'm sure you know all too well how stubborn he is."

"He doesn't want to involve the police in this." The brunette's words were a firm statement, not a question. She shook her head, concern donning her countenance.

"That's right," Lita replied. "And it's not because he feels he'll 'betray' your husband, either."

Dawn Marie didn't speak this time as she met the other woman's hazel eyes. All she could think was how much of a bitch she'd been over the last few years, and to a man who'd treated her so well. She only hoped that man was not actually mortally wounded and dying at that very moment. On those dire thoughts, she cleared her mind like a slate.


	40. Chapter 40

Christian suddenly opened his eyes as he slowly awoke. As he rolled over onto his side, his arm stretched out over her side of the bed, seeking her sweet, warm form...

... He felt the crisp coolness of the bedsheet instead. Dawn Marie was not there, not laying beside him.

The blond man, suddenly wide awake, bolted up to a sitting position. He scanned his wife's side of the bed, and sure enough, she wasn't there. In fact, it appeared that she hadn't been there for quite awhile.

"What the-" He stared with angry blue eyes at the vacant side of the bed, as though uncomprehending how she could not be there. Of course, the incident from the previous night had to have everything to do with Dawn's disappearance. How had he been stupid enough or blind enough to believe that her love for him was strong enough to erase what he'd done from her memory?

Nonetheless, it enraged him. How in hell could she leave him after everything they'd done together, after everything they'd shared? They had built a life together, made promises... They had taken that sacred vow in the most beautiful of alliances - marriage.

And yet, she was gone.

Christian slipped out of bed, his mind reeling from this impossibility. He made his way to the closet, yanking the string that lit the single bulb ahead, and stared at the clothing within. He didn't even have to move any of the garments to note that all of her stuff was, by some miracle, still there. Maybe she hadn't left him after all. But then, where the hell was she? He'd never woken to find her side of the bed cold... Even on days she got up before him, her warmth and fragrance still lingered beside him.

She was working the late shift today, he remembered. There was absolutely no reason for her not to be here. He decided to leave the cold, empty bedroom and check the kitchen, living room and bathroom.

"Dawn?" he called as he entered the small hallway. "Dawn Marie?"

There was no answer. She definitely was not in the house.

Christian scanned the kitchen in a hurry. The table was where his wife normally kept her purse. That wasn't there, but her lighter and an open box of cigarettes were sitting atop it. He supposed she'd forgotten to put them back in her bag when she'd left, and that to him meant one thing...

... She'd been in a real hurry to get out of the house - away from him.

"God damn it!" he shouted, his right hand violently sweeping the cigarettes and lighter to the floor. He tore at his hair as he raged.

--

Lita eyed the brunette with uncertainty. In spite of the woman reporting her husband to the police, she still wasn't sure she trusted her.

She was due at work in less than an hour. And damn if she didn't want to go. How could she? The man she loved was laying wounded in her bed after suffering a stab wound! She couldn't just leave him... But how was she going to explain her absence to Stephanie? She supposed she could lie and call out sick, but what about tomorrow? And the day after that, and so on?

"It's okay, Lita," Dawn said, a placating hand pressed to her arm. "I'll stay here with him. I'm not due until tonight anyway."

The redhead eyed the other woman warily. Could she really be trusted to keep an eye on Edge after everything she'd done, everything she'd pulled? And that was to say nothing of the fact of the brunette's past relationship with the injured man. It wasn't that she was jealous, or that she didn't trust her boyfriend... But what if Dawn Marie tried something inappropriate?

She blinked, shaking her head as she told herself to get rid of such thoughts. It was really ridiculous when you got right down to it. And she _did_ need the money, so it was best she just go to work.

Finally, she sighed and spoke.

"Okay," she relented. "You can stay here with him. But please don't let him do anything that will further his injury, and call me if there's an emergency... Or even if you think there might be one."

"I will," Dawn Marie said, nodding. Her expression was morose as she shifted her gaze to the sleeping man in Lita's bed. "And I'll keep the door locked and stay inside. Cody will protect the fortress."

The Doberman raised his head and cocked it as he regarded her. It was pretty clear he understood exactly what she was saying.

"Good," the worried woman said. "Okay, I really better be going or I'll be late. See you later." She grabbed her purse and swung it over her shoulder.

"Bye."

Dawn Marie, followed by Cody, who whined a bit, walked Lita to the door. She waved to the redhead, then shut and locked the door before heading back to the bedroom.

Edge was still apparently sound asleep. He hadn't so much as moved a muscle since she'd last been in the room moments earlier.

"Well," the brunette said on a sigh as she eyed the slumbering blond and then the dog and back again, "looks like it's just me and you boys."


	41. Chapter 41

Lita couldn't keep her mind off of Edge as she made her way to work. In fact, she knew there was no way she was going to be able to think about anything else, and she wondered what she was doing.

She barely heard Stacy say hello as she entered _The Stop_. Methodically, she kept walking toward the kitchen, her mind in a haze.

"Lita! Whatever happened to you last night?" Chris Jericho's voice finally penetrated her thoughts. The chef stood at the stove, his gaze fixed intensely on her. "Trish and I waited and waited for you. We both tried calling you."

"Huh?" the redhead asked. She raised a hand to her head, trying her best to jog her memory. At the moment, she hadn't the foggiest idea of what he was talking about.

"We were supposed to meet up last night... The double date?" Chris said. "Trish called you and left a voicemail. Then, when you never returned her call, I called you myself."

"Oh, the double date," Lita murmured. Naturally, she had completely forgotten about that. How could she _not_ forget, considering the madness that had occurred the prior night? "I'm sorry, Chris... Something... came up." She bit her lip, hoping her friend wouldn't ask her to elaborate. She crossed the room, grabbed her apron off the hook on the wall and started heading for the bathroom.

"What happened?"

The redhead stopped in her tracks, wishing she hadn't. If she'd kept going, she probably could have pretended she hadn't heard him. But that wouldn't work now. Slowly, she turned back around to face the blond man.

"Edge... He got sick," she lied, and she hoped he would buy the excuse. It wasn't entirely untrue, after all. "He came over to my place in rough shape, and I spent the entire night taking care of him."

Jericho eyed her in silence for a beat before replying.

"Oh... I'm sorry to hear that."

"Yeah... And my cell phone was in my purse all night, so I never knew you guys called," the young woman explained. She knew that was a flimsy excuse, especially when she had the phone with her now and he had to know she'd looked at it at some point earlier. "I'm sorry about that," she finished.

"It's okay," Chris assured her. "We were just concerned."

Lita gave him a small, weak smile for his benefit.

"Are you okay?"

She nodded.

"Yeah... I'm fine. I'd better..." She gestured with her right hand, then hurried off to the small bathroom to change into her uniform.

Jericho eyed the closed door once she was inside, wondering if she was being completely honest. He really wasn't sure. Something about her demeanor had him uneasy. She definitely didn't seem like her normal self as far as he could tell.

In the confines of the tiny lavatory, Lita closed her eyes and leaned up against the door. She exhaled slowly but steadily, her heart beating wildly. Tears threatened her, but she forced them back. She felt as though she were falling to pieces, and she couldn't afford for that to happen right now. She had to start her shift and work. Then, after eight hours, she could get out of here and go back home, to Edge.

Quickly, she changed into the pink uniform and crisp white apron. She couldn't stop thinking about her injured boyfriend. And what about Dawn Marie? What if the brunette really did have some alterior motive for helping them? What if she really intended to finish the job her husband had started? What if...?

"Oh, God..." The redhead knew her thoughts were completely irrational as she hastily shoved her way out of the bathroom. Her heart and pulse were positively racing, and she felt unbelievably hot all of a sudden. She felt sick, strange and tingly all over. She ran a hand over her face, her eyes closing as she approached Jericho.

"Chris, I... Water... A glass of water - please."

The blond chef stared at her with concern.

"Lita... Lita, are you sure you're all right?" He was reluctant to take his eyes off of her as he retrieved the glass of water she'd requested.

He seemed so far away from her, seemed farther and farther even as he handed her the glass. The redhead gratefully accepted the water, but before she could take a single sip, everything seemed to go black. She felt so strange and lightheaded... so faint. But on top of that, she couldn't breathe!

"Oh, my God!" Chris exclaimed, ignoring the shattered glass on the floor and gathering the woman in his arms. "Lita!" He looked up at the double swinging doors in time to see the new waitress' eyes wide as she stared at the spectacle.

"Oh, God!" Stacy exclaimed. "What's wrong with her?"

"I don't know," Chris admitted nervously. "Get Stephanie!"

--

An hour later, Lita was basically back to normal, sitting quietly at a booth. Moments earlier, she'd been made to hold a brown paper bag to her face to breathe into. _The Stop_ had been temporarily closed because of her, and the redhead felt humiliated.

"She'll be fine," the doctor declared. "It was definitely an anxiety attack."

Stephanie McMahon studied her waitress before turning back to the man.

"That's what I figured," she said. "Lita... You can take the rest of the day off. Don't worry yourself. Relax... Take it easy."

The redhead sighed with resignation. She couldn't believe what had happened... How could she have suffered a panic attack? She'd always prided herself on being so strong, so together. And now...

Stacy knelt beside her, her warm brown eyes kind and concerned.

"Do you feel better now?"

Lita nodded dumbly.

"I do... Thank you." Although she hated what happened and even felt angry at the way the doctor and Stephanie were treating her - almost as though she were a child - she was relieved. She knew she should have been able to work to get the money, the tips... But she had to get out of there. She had to go home, to Edge.

Moments later, she got her wish and left.


	42. Chapter 42

Jay surveyed his surroundings with paranoia as he walked. He'd been on a tear ever since discovering Dawn Marie was gone. He still couldn't believe her betrayal. It left a bitterness in his heart.

His brows rose as he suddenly spotted a familiar feminine form... Lita. She was walking alone, clutching her purse. It appeared as though she were heading in the opposite direction from _The Stop_. Being a pretty regular customer at the diner, the blond man found that strange, as he knew the redhead normally worked during this time on this day of the week. He wondered if this odd occurrence had anything to do with his encounter with Edge from the previous night.

Christian kept his sharp gaze on the pretty waitress. He decided right then to follow her. He was sure she would unwittingly lead him to his wife. _Damn_ Dawn Marie... How could she just so casually toss him aside? Everything they had and shared - and _why_? It wasn't as though she gave a damn about Adam anymore!

As he trailed Lita, he clenched his right hand into a fist. Maybe if he didn't actually find Dawn this way, he would coerce the redhead to answer a few questions.

--

Lita tapped her upper chest gently, pacing herself. She had to remain calm and keep her breathing even. The anxiety attack had been one of the most uncomfortable things she had ever experienced. And she did _not_ want to go through that ever again.

She kept walking, relieved that she didn't have much farther to go. Stacy had offered to walk her, since she was taking a break anyway, but the redhead had declined. She'd been grateful and thanked the tall, skinny blonde but had assured her she'd be okay.

An odd feeling suddenly crept over Lita, and she stopped in her tracks. She had the distinct sensation she was being followed.

Swallowing hard and with dread, the young woman glanced over her shoulder. Again, she consciously kept her breathing even.

There was nobody there. She couldn't see anybody behind or anywhere near her, at least not anyone she knew or who looked suspicious.

_'Don't be so ridiculous_,' she mentally chastised herself. She really didn't want to have another panic attack. Christian wasn't following her. And why _would_ he? He would have to be insane to do that after what he'd done to his stepbrother the previous night.

Lita continued her trek home. She shook off all thoughts of Christian as new ones of his wife came to her. She knew that all of her suspicions about the brunette were equally as paranoid. Dawn Marie was helping her and Edge, trying to right the wrongs of her past.

The feeling of a huge weight being lifted from her shoulders struck the redhead as she finally reached home. As she made her way up the front walk, she could hear Cody bark-whining excitedly, happy his mistress was back. She dug out her keys and unlocked the door in a hurry.

"H-Hello? Who's there?" she heard Dawn Marie's voice ask.

"It's _me_, Dawn," she replied.

--

Christian managed to keep back at a certain distance, far enough not to be spotted but near enough to see what was going on.

The ungrateful bitch was staying at Lita's... He couldn't believe it. He had thought Dawn had skipped town, and possibly to stay at her mother's house.

He watched as his wife let the redhead into the house, the two women conversing. His blue eyed narrowed with rage as he kept watching. He stayed put for several moments, even after the door closed.


	43. Chapter 43

Lita's heart was still racing after she was safely esconced in her house. Cody came over and nuzzled her as Dawn Marie led the way through the house and to the living room.

The redhead was shocked to see that Edge had moved from her bedroom to there, on the couch. He was shirtless, with some fresh bandages adorning his wound, his feet up. He seemed somehow to be in better shape than he'd been since getting this horrible injury.

"How...?"

"He decided he felt well enough to come out here," Dawn explained. "So, I helped him, and here he is."

"She's a good nurse," the blond man said. "Patched me up and everything." He gestured to the cloth dressings.

Lita didn't quite know why, but all of a sudden jealousy surged through her. But that was just plain ridiculous - the brunette had done a great thing for him. She'd helped him so that he was now more comfortable as well as tended to his more pressing matter in changing the bandage.

"On that note, what are you doing home so early?"

The redhead came back to her senses and looked up, meeting the blond man's eyes. She was momentarily taken aback, still so shaken by her experience at work earlier that she was initially confused by his question.

"Oh... Oh, Stephanie sent me home."

Edge met Dawn Marie's dark eyes for a beat before turning his focus back on Lita.

"Well, we know _that_, but why did it happen?" he asked.

She bit her lip, hesitant to answer that question. He would probably think she was crazy. Hell, she wondered if she were herself... Nothing like that had ever happened to her before.

"Well, I... I had an anxiety attack," she finally answered with reluctance. "_That's_ why she sent me home.

The brunette's expression instantly grew concerned, and she gently reached for the other woman's arm.

"Honey, are you okay?"

Lita nodded.

"Yeah... I'm fine now. I guess all the stress just got to me." She raised her gaze and shifted it to the green eyes of her new boyfriend. Shivers chased up her spine at the look present in those orbs. His gaze seemed to be almost caressing her with the gentle love she read within.

"How about a little lunch?" Dawn Marie suddenly asked after a moment of intense silence. She'd instantly noticed the exchange between Edge and Lita, and, not for the first time since coming here, felt like an intruder. Quickly, she excused herself and disappeared into the kitchen. Cody followed right at her heels, and the redhead slowly made her way to the couch.

Her voice was concerned as she sat down beside the wounded blond man.

"Are you really feeling all right? I still say you should be in a hospital-"

Edge silenced her with his forefinger, which he gently placed against her lips.

"I'm okay," he assured her. His face was very near hers, and he wanted to press his lips against her mouth and kiss her for all she was worth. "You're so precious... Did you know that?"

Lita gazed into his eyes, which definitely seemed brighter, more alert and alive than earlier. It seemed that Dawn Marie tending to him while she'd been out had done wonders. There was still a small amount of now dried blood visible through his bandage dressing, but it was mild compared to the frightening scene the prior night.

There was a brief, comfortable silence between them for a beat. Edge reached over for her hand and held it, caressing it gently with his thumb and forefinger. Lita could barely catch her breath at the sweet feel of his touch.

"So, you were worried about me," he finally said, his words posed in a statement rather than a question.

The redhead suddenly grew quite bashful. She shifted her position on the couch, though she didn't move her hand from his loving grip.

"Well... Yeah."

He grinned, which, even though he was healing, was still a little difficult due to the pain.

"Well, I think that's adorable."

Deep down inside, a part of Lita wanted to shout, '_No_, _it's not_! _You were_ stabbed - _you need medical attention_, _you_ need _to be in a hospital_!' However, for the moment, those thoughts were relegated to the back of her mind. It seemed she could see nothing but the blond man's sunny smile, his incredible green eyes... All the love shining through them.

Somehow, she managed a small smile of her own. And then he kissed her, just as Dawn Marie poked her head out from the corner of the kitchen doorway.


	44. Chapter 44

Christian staked out the house in wait. She had to go out sometime, and he knew she had the late shift tonight. She had the late shift every Wednesday night. So, he knew that like any other Wednesday night, at ten-fifteen, like clockwork, she would be heading out on her way to _The Stop_.

That would be when he would make his move. And he would make sure she'd regret walking out on him and betraying him!

He checked his watch. It was only four-thirty in the afternoon now. What a bummer. There were six hours to go before he would see his Dawnie out here. To that end, he decided he would go back home and come back later.

--

"I'm worried about her, Chris," Trish said as she stood near the cook in the kitchen. She was clad in her waitress' uniform and apron, and it seemed she hadn't done much along the lines of waiting tables for the past hour. Her shift was coming to an end, but at the same time, it had been pretty quiet for the last thirty-five or so minutes.

"I know, Trish," the blond man said. "I know. But Stephanie did the right thing in sending her home. That poor thing has been working herself into a frenzy lately. It's no wonder she had a panic attack."

The petite blonde shook her head.

"I don't think it's quite so simple. I mean, Chris, she stood us up the other night. That's not like Lita."

"I know, but-"

"And she said Edge was sick," Trish interrupted him. "Well, I don't know... I'm not so sure I buy it."

Chris looked back up from the burgers he was flipping.

"What do you mean?" he asked, giving her a strange look.

The little blonde shook her head.

"I don't know... Too many weird things have been happening lately. First that guy getting attacked, then Lita's fight with Dawn Marie... Now _this_."

"Hmm." Chris had to admit, the woman had a point, but he wasn't quite sure what that point was. "Well, if it makes you feel any better, what do you say we go pay her a visit after my shift ends?"

Trish's expression changed to one of great relief.

"Oh, that would be great, Chris. I'll wait up for you by the counter." She checked her watch, sure enough noticing that her shift had indeed ended, and then reached in back of herself to untie the apron. She quickly tossed it over her shoulder and was about to leave, but the man's voice stopped her.

"No, wait... I kinda like your company, Trish."

She turned to meet his baby blue eyes, unable to resist a smile.

--

_Six-Thirty PM_

Christian entered the club and chose a spot close to the stage - well, runway, more aptly. It was early, so he was lucky enough to have gotten his very own small table up front. Yes, this would do.

He'd never been in the place before, but damn if he wasn't all hot and bothered. Damn Dawn Marie for walking out on him. Who the hell did she think she was, anyway?

It served her right that he was now in a place like this, about to watch women of this caliber. Hell, he thought he just might even hook up with one of them out of spite to his betraying wife. And then, when she came crawling back to him, let's see how she liked it!

The place was by no means packed at this early hour, but Christian was surprised there were as many men as there were.

Minutes later, some rhythmic, pounding music began to blare through the speakers. This was it. He settled down in his seat, a smirk coming to his face as he waited with anticipation. He took a sip from his drink, and then she slipped out from the back, onto the stage.

The woman wasn't dancing five minutes when Christian suddenly realized that he actually _knew_ her. It was his first time in the place, but he recognized that face and hair. And it didn't take him but seconds to place them - it was that Torrie chick. She used to be a waitress at _The Stop_.

Surprisingly, the tall blonde seemed to show recognition of him as well. She locked eyes with him and smiled, winking as she tantalizingly removed her shiny gold foil top.

Christian licked his lips with appreciation as he eyed her full bare breasts. He was suddenly determined to get some contact going with Torrie later on, before he headed back to his stakeout.


	45. Chapter 45

**_A/N: Um... I'm really not sure who's even reading this story anymore, since it's been awhile since it last got any reviews, but it's still going strong, and I'm still updating it. Anyone who _is_ reading it, I'd really appreciate some more reviews! You know what they say - motivation is everything. ;)_**

"Maybe..." She hesitated, worry coursing through her at what she was about to say. "... Maybe you shouldn't go in tonight."

Dawn Marie looked up from the waitress uniform she'd just ironed in Lita's living room. She met the redhead's eyes squarely, completely understanding her friend's fears. After all, they certainly weren't irrational.

"I know what you mean," she admitted. "I should have changed shifts with Stacy." She shook her head and sighed. "I know... Christian's out there and the police haven't caught him yet."

Lita stared at the brunette, fully concerned. It was as though the man was made of smoke. Somehow, he kept eluding the police. She hoped it wasn't just a case of law enforcement's incompetence.

"But it's too late," Dawn went on. "Stephanie will have my head on a platter if I don't show up tonight. Surely, she'll fire me."

"Better you get fired than Christian get to you."

Dawn Marie stiffened at the redhead's words. The truth was, she really didn't think her husband would do anything horrible to her. Sure, he would yell, curse, maybe even slap her... But she didn't and couldn't see him doing anything more. On the other hand, she'd never thought him capable of violence the caliber of stabbing his own stepbrother, or anyone, for that matter. She'd seen that with her own two eyes and still had difficulty accepting it. She bit her lip and faced Lita.

"If I don't go in, I'm going to be forced to explain," she pointed out. She knew her friend had had the opportunity to do that herself, after her anxiety attack at _The Stop_. Since she hadn't gone ahead and done that, she could only assume that the redhead didn't want people to know. She kept her gaze on the other woman's hazel eyes, trying to read her.

"I... know," Lita admitted. She bowed her head somewhat, and a silence hung over her. She thought it over and wondered if the two of them should actually go to their boss and explain together what was going on. Surely if they both told her, it would sound more believable.

"So... What should I do?" the brunette questioned.

"I think you should go to work, Dawnie," Edge's voice suddenly cut in as the two women simultaneously looked up  
in shock as he entered the room. "And I think you should take this with you - just in case." He moved his right hand  
from behind his back to reveal the gun.

Both women's eyes widened.

"Where did you get that?" Lita exclaimed.

Dawn Marie shook her head with horror.

"I couldn't shoot anyone," she protested, "let alone my own husband!"

"This is just for protection," the blond man stated. "Most likely, you wouldn't even have to use it."

The brunette's jaw dropped as he held it out to her. She raised her hands quickly, as though she'd just been burned.

"I can't," she insisted in a shaky tone. "I... I _can't_!"

"Edge, I don't believe this," the redhead cut in. She strode directly to the tall man, her expression one a mixture of horror and maybe a bit of anger. She stared at the gun in his hand for a beat before raising her gaze back up to the pair of green eyes. "How could you bring a gun into my house?" She wondered how she was only just finding out about it now and wondered where he'd stashed it all this time.

"Baby, it's all right. It has a safety," he said, demonstrating it to her.

She took a step backward.

"I don't care if it has _ten_ safeties!" she exclaimed. "You can't be serious! What if that thing gets used against you - or _us_?" Lita had never liked guns. They were dangerous and more trouble than they were worth. She'd never even seen a gun in the flesh like this, let alone this close to her.

"That's why you have to be aware," the tall blond man said, a firmness in his voice. "You have to be extra careful." He faced his ex-girlfriend again. "Dawn, please... Take it." He held it out to her, the nozzle facing away from her. "You don't even have to use it. Just showing it would be enough. I know Christian... He won't use it against you - not _you_."

There was pure horror shining in the brunette's eyes as she glanced from edge to the gun and back again. She'd always she and Edge knew Christian better than anyone else in the world. However, once again, she reminded herself that she'd been in utter shock that night when he'd stabbed Edge. She held her breath, her head whirling with all these thoughts and fears. What if it really came down to her life being on the line? She closed her eyes, swallowing hard before coming to a decision.

To Lita's shock, the other woman accepted the gun. She gazed at it for a moment, shaking her head and mouthing a thank you to Edge.


	46. Chapter 46

Christian stalked his way back to the house, and he couldn't help the grin that was still plastered to his face.

He'd had an unbelievably amazing time at the club... He and that Torrie chick had indeed made a connection, one that was mostly physical. He found himself go somewhat hard again as he recalled it. Pinning her up against that wall... she had bent over very slightly, just enough as her hands had gripped the wall... Not removing a shred of his garments but freeing himself thorugh his zipper... She had worn no panties underneath her skimpy, flimsy little pink skirt, and he'd easily and very effortlessly impaled her from behind.

The short-haired blond man willed those thoughts from his memory for the time being. It was not the time for him to focus on that. Though maybe he would be doing that again with his own wife soon enough.

Christian crouched in his hiding place behind some bushes as he kept his gaze on the front door. He knew she would emerge. And, moments later, like clockwork, she did.

His eyes were sharp as he kept his gaze on her. He noticed that she looked wary, judging by the expression on her face and the way she glanced all around. Well, screw that... He was going to approach her whether she liked it or not.

Stealthily, Christian moved out from his hiding place and kept to the shadows as he followed his wife.

--

Dawn Marie couldn't shake the creepy feeling that had suddenly hit her. She was very perceptive to things and could swear that she was being followed.

Then again, it didn't take a rocket scientist to guess it would happen, or _who_ her tracker was.

The brunette took a deep breath, exhaling slowly as she tried her best to play it cool. She reached into the right pocket of her long rain jacket and fingered it, the gun Edge had given her for protection.

She couldn't hear any footfalls behind her. That also had everything to do with the fact that she was walking on a grassy ground, though. Should she chance looking over her shoulder, just for a second? She didn't know if she should, as that would give him some small warning should he catch up to and grab her.

Sorrow gripped her at those thoughts. In spite of everything that happened and everything he'd done, Christian was still her husband... And she still loved him.

Dawn kept walking, her fingertips lightly tracing the steel in her pocket. It was actually alarming to her that she was walking around with the thing, but she knew it was for her best interests. After he'd gone so far as to stab his own step-brother, the truth was, she wasn't sure what else Christian might be capable of doing.

She was getting nearer to _The Stop_. It wouldn't be long now before she reached it. The odd feeling crept up on her more intensely, and she gave in, finally taking a glance over her shoulder.

She realized that was a mistake... Christian had finally caught up to her, and when she turned, she was actually met directly with his fist - right in her face! Shocked by the blow, she could barely let out a scream as she fell to the ground.

"You bitch!" the blond man yelled. He kicked out at her with one foot, causing her to groan and wince, doubling over in her fallen position. She'd fallen on her right hip and felt the gun press painfully against her.

"Jay, no!" she pleaded, feeling weak and hurt. She raised her hands to shield her face, realizing with alarm that she was bleeding... Her nose.

"'No?!' What do you mean, 'no?!'" he shouted, bending over more to her level. He pulled her up by her hair, and, looking perhaps more furious than she'd ever seen him, punched her again - this time in the jaw.

Dawn Marie staggered back, and she suddenly realized she'd lost the gun. It had somehow fallen out of her pocket. Dear God, if she didn't get it, she was in trouble.

Christian gave his wife a colossal shove, sending her sprawling backward, where she came to land on her back on the grass. However, she'd also landed on the gun, which caused her to cry out as more pain permeated her already battered body. Instinctively, she rolled over, off of the weapon... And that was when Christian's eyes spotted it. He filled with even more rage as he bent down to pick it up.

Dawn Marie's eyes widened in terror as she looked up at him.

"You were actually going to _shoot_ me?" he asked, his blue eyes glittering with fury. "I can't believe you, Dawnie." Instead of brandishing the weapon at her, he pocketed it, but then gave her another good kick in the ribs.

The brunette cried out again, her eyes squeezing shut with the pain. She felt the hotness of tears on her cheeks as she doubled over again. A moment later, when she opened them again, she was relieved to realize that her husband was gone. At the same time, this was bad - he was still out there.

Somehow, Dawn Marie managed to get back to her feet. Pain seared through her body at the motions, but she forced herself to walk the remainder of the short distance to _The Stop_. Once there, she would call the police.


	47. Chapter 47

Dawn Marie took every last painful step, trudging onward. She refused to give in to the blinding, searing aches in her midsection as she saw _The Stop_ just ahead.

The brunette let out a moan so soft, she was sure nobody would have even heard it. She willed herself to keep going, keep moving until she finally reached the door.

Pushing it open, the woman finally collapsed in a heap to the floor, broken and battered.

"Oh, my God!" she heard someone - a woman - shout. She thought she saw Stephanie McMahon's horrified and concerned face peering down at her but blacked out.

Stephanie shot Stacy a look as she approached with worry in her eyes.

"Call for an ambulance!" she ordered. She knelt over more closely to the fallen brunette and moved the hair off her face. She was filled with horror at the thought of what had to have happened to the woman.

--

Lita looked up at the sound of her phone ringing. It wasn't exactly something she could put her finger on, but for some reason, she thought of the tone as ominous. She just knew deep down that something was wrong.

Edge watched her as she rose from the couch to go around to the phone sitting on the small table a few feet away.

"Hello?" she asked, keeping her voice from sounding as shaky as she felt. She blanched and raised a hand to her mouth as the person on the other end gave her some news.

"Oh, God," she breathed. "Okay... Thank you. Bye." She hung up and turned to face her boyfriend, her face still white as a sheet.

"What happened?" the blond man asked. He had a sinking feeling he already _knew_, though.

"That was Stephanie - my boss," the redhead told him. "Dawn Marie was attacked. She... She's in the hospital."

"Oh, jeez."

Forgetting all about Christian for the time being, the two immediately left and headed for Lincoln Memorial. Edge, who had actually been faring very well, all things considered, couldn't help feeling guilty. Lita hadn't given him any real details aside from the general gist of what happened, but he hoped Dawn hadn't been shot. He would never forgive himself if she had been. After all, he had been the one who'd given her that gun.

They rushed through the building, not quite as fast as they normally would have due to the blond man's healing wound. Lita glanced around frantically as they reached a nurse's station.

"We're here for Dawn Marie Psaltis."

The woman behind the counter asked her to spell the last name, and she did. Then, searching through her computer, the nurse gave her a nod.

"Room 213."

The redhead began to hurry away, calling a quick thank you behind her.

"Come on, Adam!" she cried.

The blond man hobbled just behind her. As he caught up, they made it to an elevator.

"Maybe _you_ should get looked at while we're here."

"Me? I don't need it."

She shook her head and gave him a look of disgust.

"Men," she remarked. What was wrong with them? They always had to play it so macho - even when it was their life and _not_ a game they were dealing with. She shook it off for now as they searched for Room 213. It wasn't long before they found it.

"Dawn!" Lita cried as she stepped inside. The brunette was in a semi-private room with an undetermined roommate who had the privacy curtains drawn around her. She rushed to the bed, wincing at the sight of the other woman. Dawn Marie was thankfully conscious, but she was pale and had bruises covering her face. A thin white sheet covered her from the waist down, and she had a single IV attached to her left arm.

"Oh, my God... Are you... okay?" the redhead asked. She realized it was a pretty stupid question.

Edge came over just behind his girlfriend and drank in the sight of his former girlfriend in the hospital bed. She looked so tiny and fragile in her current state.

"I've been better," the brunette replied with a wince. She tried to sit up a wee bit more but was stopped by Lita, who extended an arm in her direction. "The broken ribs sure don't help."

Edge's hands clenched into fists at her words. Clearly, the woman hadn't been shot but had been beaten. And damn if he didn't know his stepbrother was the fucking culprit. He felt as though he could kill him.

Swallowing down his hatred, the blond man managed to ask one small question - one he knew wasn't exactly important at that very moment but which was vitally so in the long run.

"The gun?" he asked in a whisper.

"I lost it when he attacked me," the brunette explained. Her facial expression was so pained. "He had me on the ground and was kicking me. He saw it and took it." Tears sprang to Dawn Marie's eyes. "I thought he was going to kill me!"

As best she could given her friend's broken ribs, Lita leaned down to give her a hug. She smoothed down some strands of Dawn's hair and swayed her gaze to Edge. Horror gripped her at the knowledge that what the brunette had said could very well have ended up happening.

They left a few minutes later, promising Dawn Marie they would be back. Edge grabbed hold of Lita's arm as they rounded a corridor, his green eyes serious.

"Okay, no more fooling around. We're gonna have to throw together a good strategy."

The young woman eyed him with widened hazel orbs, terrified to ask any questions.


	48. Chapter 48

Lita sighed as she stood in front of her door. This certainly wasn't going to be easy, but it had to be done.

"I really wish you'd just stay here with me," Edge said with a tiny pout the redhead found adorable.

She grabbed hold of both his hands.

"I know," she said. "And so do I. But I have to go to work, baby." She'd decided it was no use sitting around the house and worrying herself sick over him - and now over Dawn Marie, who was still in the hospital. She needed to support herself, and that wasn't going to happen as long as she was here. Besides, she didn't think Christian would do anything to her.

"Fine," the blond man said with resignation. He sighed. "You're right. Okay... I'll hold down the fort." He cast a glance behind him to see Cody watching them and wagging his stubby tail. "Me and Cody both."

The redhead smiled, then gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"Okay. I'll see you later."

"Later," he said with a small smile.

As she slipped out the door, it was on the tip of Lita's tongue to say, 'Behave yourself,' but she didn't voice it.

The moment she was gone, Edge made a mad dash for the shower. He hated lying to the redhead, but he had no choice. He had to find his bastard of a stepbrother and have it out with him, once and for all - man to man.

--

The moment she stepped into _The Stop_, Lita was bombarded by questions from her fellow waitresses. Trish and Stacy eyed her with concern, told her they were surprised she'd come, and asked about Dawn Marie.

"How is she?" the shorter blonde queried. She hadn't gotten the chance yet, but she planned on to visiting the brunette in the hospital as soon as her shift ended that day.

"Are you okay?" Stacy asked, her brown eyes filled with concern. The last time she'd seen the redhead was when she'd had her panic attack.

"I'm fine - really," she told her. She was appreciative of the two other women, but at the same time, she felt as though a hurricane had blown over her.

"Lita," a new female voice called.

They all looked up to see Stephanie heading over. Like the blonde waitresses, the woman wore a look of concern on her face.

"Hi, Stephanie."

"How are you doing?" the brunette questioned. "Are you feeling better?"

"Yes, I am," Lita replied, holding back a sigh. Everyone was treating her like she was a precious piece of delicate china, and she hated it. "I really am."

"Good," Stephanie said, placing a hand on her arm. "I'm glad for that. But if you start feeling badly again at all, please let me know. We just want you to be well."

The redhead nodded, though she was groaning on the inside. On one hand, she really did appreciate her boss' and coworkers' concern, but on the other, it kind of embarrassed her. She hated being the center of this kind of attention.

"Okay." She sighed and glanced over toward the kitchen. "I'd better..." She pointed with her thumb in that direction.

"Well, well, well... Look who decided to grace us with her presence."

"Hi, Chris," she said almost sheepishly.

"Hi back," Jericho said merrily.

Lita found herself extremely grateful for his casual, friendly attitude. It was so much better than being coddled.

As she reached for her apron on the hook behind the man, there was a brief silence. Then, Chris asked, "So... How are you?"

"I'm fine," she replied.

"Good to hear it," the blond man said. He wasn't one-hundred percent convinced she was telling the truth but didn't voice it. Something strange was going on with her lately, and although he was her friend, it was obvious she didn't want to discuss it with him. He figured that if she wanted to indulge him, she would do it in her own time.

"You see Dawn yet?" he asked.

"Yeah, I did." She bit her lip, hesitating as to going to the bathroom to change into her uniform. She was suddenly feeling so overwhelmed by all that had happened in the last few days, and the mention of the brunette again just pushed her over. In no time, she was crying, the sobs hard and painful, the tears coming in droves.

"Oh, God... Was it something I said?" Chris hurried by the woman's side and enveloped her in a hug. "Lita, it'll be all right. I'm sure it will."

She pulled back just enough to look up into his crystal-blue eyes. And that was when she found herself blurting it all out to him - the entire sordid mess.


	49. Chapter 49

Lita was working for less than two hours when it happened. She honestly hadn't seen it coming, and certainly not here at work. Next time, she wouldn't delude herself - or, at least she wouldn't if there even _was_ a 'next time.'

"Why didn't you _tell_ me?"

The redhead turned in her tracks to see Trish staring at her with concern. The blonde had her hands on her hips as she seemed to be awaiting an answer. Lita tried to play oblivious.

"What are you talking about?"

"Oh, come on, Lita!" came the response. Trish followed the taller woman into the kitchen. "You _know_! So, that's why you 'forgot' about our double date that night?"

Ignoring the little blonde for the time being, Lita launched on Chris, who was at the stove, as usual. She was so angry she could barely see straight.

"What the hell is wrong with you, Jericho? I tell you something in confidence and you blab it?!"

"Whoa!" the man said, taken aback. He knew she'd be upset, but not to _this_ extent. "I only told Trish, and that was because we were both _very_ worried about you."

"But you had no right! _No right_, Chris!" she shouted.

"Shh!" Jericho said in a loud whisper. "You want the diners, or worse, Stephanie, to hear you? That'll only make it worse."

"Lita, please don't be angry at Chris," Trish pleaded. "He's right. We _are_ worried. We only want to help. That's why I wish you would have confided in me."

"Well, I understand that, Trish," the redhead answered, "but there's really no way you _can_ help." She sighed with resignation. "Look, I appreciate you both being concerned. But this is something that has to be worked out on its own." She didn't verbalize that she was actually afraid Edge might try to do something stupid, like confront Christian himself. She knew they needed to involve the police in this matter, regardless of how fearful her boyfriend was of doing that.

"You can't be serious," Trish said. She eyed her friend with disbelief. "Did you see Dawn Marie? She collapsed on the floor out there, bruised and bloody! Tell me how _that's_ something that can just 'work itself out!'"

Lita bowed her head and kept silent as she imagined the scene. And then, she recalled seeing her friend in that hospital bed, looking all broken and bruised. It had been a miracle she hadn't been killed, what with her accepting the gun Edge had given her.

"Trish, that's enough," Jericho said gently. He gazed at the redhead, seeing just how tortured she was inside. He knew she was already beating herself up over all the guilt. And really, nothing that had happened was any of her fault. He thought a good portion of it was Edge's fault, but not her own.

"Seriously, though," he said, addressing the redhead, "this has to stop... before someone gets killed. This Christian guy is obviously dangerous." As the woman raised her gaze to meet his eyes, he continued. "I really think you need to contact the proper authorities. Call the police, the FBI... Let _them_ handle it from here on out. _Please_, Lita."

Trish nodded as Lita shifted her gaze to her as well. She saw deep fear and concern shining through the woman's brown eyes. And she knew Jericho was right... Hell, she had just been acknowledging that law enforcement officers needed to be called to handle it. Slowly, she nodded.

"You're right... You're _both_ right. This thing is too deep for us to handle on our own."

Trish edged closer to her and rubbed her arm gently. The gesture was met with appreciation as Lita took strength from her friend's support. She took a deep breath and exhaled it evenly, making up her mind.

"I'm gonna go make a phone call," she said, her head nearly spinning. She turned to leave the kitchen but stopped to turn back to face her two friends. Her voice nearly broke.

"Thank you."

Moments later, she was at the payphone near the restrooms. A sinking feeling overtook her, however, as she dialed her home number. The phone rang and her own voice on the answering machine came on.

Her stomach stared to churn with discomfort. Edge had gone out... And she had a sickening sensation that she knew his reason behind it.


	50. Chapter 50

_**A/N: Thanks to JJ for reviewing the last chapter. I know it's been ages since I've updated this story, and I apologize for that. I keep getting brain freezes with it, for some reason. :-\ It's probably close to the end of the story by this chapter. Only problem is, I'm not sure how to end it. Anyway, I hope people are still reading and will continue reviewing as well. And most of all, I hope readers will enjoy this new chapter! ;)**_

Edge stood in the shadows of the somewhat dense shrubbery. He kept close eye on the house, searching for any sign of the man. When he did, he would make his move.

He knew he should have at least told Lita what he'd had planned. She would be furious when she found him out, and he knew she _would_ find out... It was only inevitable.

Swallowing back the guilt, the blond man perked up as he noticed a movement from the living room window. His eyebrows arched as he realized it was not his step-brother. No... This was a woman. He realized that he knew her - and it was not Dawn Marie, either.

It was Torrie... That waitress from _The Stop_ who had gotten fired awhile back. What in hell was _she_ doing there?

As Edge wondered about this, Christian himself suddenly appeared in his view. He joined Torrie by standing up from the couch. Quickly, he pulled the blonde's shirt up and over her head before dipping his head to kiss her.

The tall blond man was disgusted. How long had this been going on? He felt badly for Dawn Marie, as her husband was clearly cheating on her, but found that strange, considering what had happened. And no doubt, the brunette was going to file for divorce from the bastard once she was discharged from the hospital.

Setting his jaw angrily, Edge crept closer to the house. Enough was enough... He wasn't going to let what was happening inside go any further, as he had important motives here.

He pressed his finger on the doorbell, ringing incessantly, rudely, all the while knocking on the door with his other hand. His reason for that was to cause enough of a disturbance that Christian wouldn't _dare_ ignore him.

And sure enough, it worked. He could hear his step-brother telling the woman to stay put while he answered the door. He then heard some shuffling, and then the lock being turned. He was shocked that Christian was so quick to open the door when Dawn Marie had called the police on him. Well, whatever to that. Poised and ready, Edge braced himself, waiting for the door to open.

The second the door was ajar enough, the tall blond man launched himself onto his surprised step-brother. Christian let out an audible whoosh of breath as they tumbled together to the floor. Edge punched him once, then grabbed handsful of his shirt collar.

"You son of a bitch!" he shouted. He heard the patter of footsteps coming, and then a gasp emerge from Torrie Wilson. What he didn't expect was for the woman to try to lend Christian a hand - which she did.

"Get off of him, you monster!" Torrie yelled as she swatted him in the back of the head, neck and shoulders.

The tall blond man tried to ignore her mostly ineffectual blows, but it was difficult. She was persistent. When she wouldn't stop, he elbowed her away with enough force to send her sailing to the floor.

Christian had recovered just enough thanks to Torrie. He took advantage of his step-brother's momentary distraction to land a punch into his gut.

"I'm calling the police!" the platinum blonde screamed.

Both men felt a measure of fear over that exclamation. Christian held up a hand toward her.

"D-Don't do that!" he said in an almost pleading tone.

"But he just attacked us!"

"Don't, okay? Just _don't_!" Christian snapped.

Torrie cringed as she caught a certain look in his eyes. She stood and backed away, not comprehending exactly what was going on and not wanting to know, either.

"You bastard!" Edge groaned. "You tried to kill me!" He again had a handhold of the other man's shirt.

Christian had no verbal response aside from an 'oof' as he tried to shove the irate man off of him. They began to wrestle on the floor, expletives coming out of both.

"You stole my inheritance, you slimy son of a bitch!"

Torrie, who had gotten her shirt back on during the fracas, watched the two like a hawk. Her cell phone in hand, she crept, unnoticed, toward the back door. She was getting out of there pronto, and she was calling the police.

----------

Lita could barely keep the tears from coming as she faced her boss. She knew this was too much in so short a time frame, but it was probably a matter of life or death - no fooling this time around.

"I'm so sorry, Stephanie... I do hate leaving you high and dry, but I really _do_ need to go."

"You've been here a little over an hour," the brunette observed. "Lita, I'm trying to be fair, but this is becoming a regular occurrence. At least tell me what's going on."

Trish had overheard the entire exchange from the kitchen and came decisively out to approach them.

"Stephanie, it's okay... I'll do a double shift to cover her," she offered.

Lita gave her friend a most grateful look, silently thanking her.

"Are you sure, Trish?" Stephanie asked. "We're short-staffed here as it is, and Stacy's already doing double duty to cover Dawn Marie."

The little blonde nodded.

"I'm sure."

The brunette eyed each waitress in turn, then nodded.

"All right... So be it."


End file.
